Knowing it from the Beginning
by I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I
Summary: Five long years can and will change anyone's mind. So much so, you cannot recognize yourself when looking at the reflection in the mirror. Natsu knew this the minute he talked again with his friends. Always dreading the moment they discovered his new true self and what he was hiding from them. The truth that was supposed to be known lied forgotten until he found it. War is near.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**The names of Magnolia, Era, Desierto, Seven, Bosco, Pergrande Kingdom and Minj belong to Hiro Mashima too.**

**Search on the FT wikia and you'll find them on the Earthland map.  
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**I do own the names of some cities, some countries and OCs that appear in this story and the general idea of it too.**

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><p><strong>Knowing it from the beginning.<strong>

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

**Chapter 0: The return of the Fire Dragon**

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><p><em>(Magnolia; outskirts to the west.)<em>

Walking through the hot deserts of Desierto he found nothing but sandstorms and mirages. Running through the leafy forests of Seven he found unbelievable landscapes and strange people. Dragging his feet through the powerful snow storms of the Pergrande Kingdom he only found nature in its wildest state.

It was after 5 long years that he decided to return to Fiore, to Magnolia, to his home, to his family, with clothes that had seen better times, with a backpack that had patches all over it, with a face that even after all the hardships that he had to endure, was still able to smile to its fullest. His pink hair was longer, if not spikier, his teeth were sharper and a little longer, his height now matching that of an adult and his mind more mature after seen the world to its fullest.

He experienced every aspect that life had to offer, he saw every kind of thing that a man could do to get what he wanted, be it good or bad. He experienced war in large scale, as he had to help a friend in need at one time, revolutions and coup d'etats that never ended well for anyone.

He saw buildings even larger than the magic council of his country or the tower of heaven that Jellal force to build; he saw magic that he never knew that existed, even saw those that he was taught and thought that were no more on this world.

Meet people that he would always remember and people he wished he had never met in his life. Knew of magicians like him, with the power taught by the dragons themselves and met them himself to ask for his long lost foster father or theirs. All giving him the same answer, they knew nothing of their foster fathers or mothers and haven't known of them since they leave them unannounced the 7-7-X777.

He also went in search of a man, in an iron-fist ruled nation called Minj, close to the hot deserts of the east, that was praised for having an answer to every question and when he found him he only came out with a weird riddle, an ancient law that he had never heard about in his entire life and troubles with the royal family of said nation.

It was a funny business the one that issued during that time, that included drama, humor, fighting, romance, nudity, more fighting, terror, supernatural stuff, some suspense, even more fighting and destruction of innocent buildings in the process… and a dead baby sheep… but that would be sidetracking from the main story, so going back with our guy, who was feeling down but not defeated, he was looking back at the past 5 years, and believing that he was out in that quest for long enough he started the long journey home.

Yes.

Natsu Dragneel saw the world.

Every piece of it that was available for his feet to go to, since getting on a ship and cross the vast sea of the east, south or west to the other continents was not an option. So he only check his own continent, which was enough for him and leaved him with the only option to go back home settle things in there, look for a friend or two that might want to join him and sail around the world to continue his search… along someone watching that he didn't get robbed or anything during his times of motion sickness.

That if Master Makarov allow him to do so; the old man was kind enough to allowed him to go out for that long of a time on his own, so he knew he shouldn't get his hopes high.

He walked for 3 long months to Fiore, reaching the town of Magnolia at the night, during what he remembered was the Fantasia parade. From the border of a cliff close to the city, he watched the big and spectacular show that his guild was giving and he decided to participate as well, doing something that would certainly call everyone's attention, if not scare them a little and set them on guard.

He chuckled quietly while he took some steps back, he needed precision and punctuality; he wanted to surprise all of his friends when their eyes where in the sky… and that was now that the fireworks were starting!

He started throwing quick and powerful blast of fire above the town, overwhelming those thrown by his comrades and quickly calling the attention of everyone in Magnolia. He was pleased with the cheers that erupted from the public, noticing how the members of the guild stopped throwing their own fireworks to locate the direction from which his blasts where coming from. That was when he knew that the grand finale needed to be done.

"And here goes nothing!" He screamed as he started to run to the end of the cliff, flames already engulfing his extremities. This was going to be one hell of an entrance if he pulled it right as he wanted. "I'm baaaaaaack!"

He used his flames to propelled himself and shot through the night sky above everyone in the town, earning another round of cheers, some groans of frustration and some realizations from his friends: First, the childish shout and entrance made evident who was the one making those mysterious fireworks and second, the crashing in the middle of the guild's lunch hall through the roof gave proof that he didn't changed one bit in the past years… or so they thought. But questions and answers would have to wait since our dear hero was knocked unconscious by his "little" stunt that almost set the guild on fire.

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><p><em>8 hours later…<em>

'_You have answers to my questions?' Natsu said to a man smoking near a window from which the light from the sun shined bright. The man only turned his eyes in the boy's direction and shrugged before speaking with a low raspy voice._

'_Only if you can answer my questions, Natsu Dragneel,' The boy was taken aback; he didn't expect the man to know his name but the guy only diverted his eyes back to the other side of the window and continue. 'Please don't be surprised, I'm supposed to know everything, remember? Now, about that dragon you're seeking…'_

'_Igneel.' Said Natsu emphasizing his reason for being there and interrupting the man who was now wondering if he should be more objective with the boy as he originally planned or just keep getting interrupted like that._

'_Yes, Igneel; I do not know of his whereabouts but…'_

'_Then this was a waste of time…' Said Natsu while heading out the room and the house, leaving the man frozen with his mouth hanging and the words clinging on his tongue. He immediately went after the dragon slayer and tried to stop him from leaving. 'Wait! Okay! Okay! I'll drop the cool guy thing but hear what I have to say! It might be of help to you in your travel!'_

'_Then talk quickly, I have other leads to follow!' This annoyed the man as now Natsu was playing the cool guy act, but he swallowed his pride and started talking._

'_Look, all I know is this…' He gave to Natsu a paper in which were shown two things, first a text and after it a picture of a tablet that described a rule or law that seemed to date from thousands of years ago and it was in language he never saw before. Natsu stared at it for a while and later looked in disbelief at the man, making him sweat dropped from the intense and questioning gaze, but later turned his eyes back to the paper and started to recite the legend or poem or whatever that was written in it._

'_When the sins of man are too much to handle, the dark-one will come to make them pay for them. The ancient-ones will leave this plane in rage, for as the old law says: They are not to interfere in the affairs of man.' Natsu paused for a moment, digesting what he just read, since he was alone and he didn't want to look dumb in front of this man, he tried to decipher the message._

_The ancient-ones should be the dragons, right?_

_And the 'dark-one' a menace that is yet to come, but why does it say that because of the sins of man they're going to pay?_

_He kept reading and found something that made his eyes widened in shock. 'Man is to solve its own problems and the ancient-ones respect the rule of no interference, but when many moons pass and the ancient-ones know that the coming of the dark-one draws close, they will bring under their tutelage those sons of man that were left aside. Preparing their children to protect the innocents from the dark-one, his paws and the eternal torture that he will bring with him… What?'_

'_What you've read, some dark-one is going to come and you and the other dragon-slayers that came here before you must unite to save us all from death or worse…' Said the man while eyeing his surroundings noticing how some of the people in the street were whispering while looking their way and that wasn't good, he started to push Natsu back inside the house. 'Come, let's go… It's not safe to talk outside about this…'_

'_What? Why?' He wondered as he too started to look around and noticed how many people was looking their way… specifically at him. 'Oh…'_

'_Yes, oh; now,' Getting inside his house and closing the door, the environment change completely into total darkness, the man turned to Natsu with his arms crossed and looking at the boy with a face mixed in between annoyance and confusion. 'Why are you having me repeat that experience? I thought I told that when I visit you in your dreams I wanted to find something comfortable like this…'_

'_I know; it's just that I was remembering about that paper and what I read…' The man let out a tired sigh as he watched Natsu sat on a chair that appeared out of nowhere. Doing the same, he change into a more formal, straight-to-the-point behavior._

'_Did you get to your town?' Natsu nodded, the man nodded in acceptance. 'Good, did you explain the situation to your fellow dragon-slayers?' Natsu started to scratch the back of his head sheepishly; the man sweat drooped but continued his questions. 'What happened this time?'_

'_I arrived in time for the Fantasia; I couldn't miss the chance to make an entrance…' The man felt like face palming but thought against it, he went straight to lecture the pink-haired boy._

'_Stop losing time and tell them, every second counts, they need to know so they can prepare for it…' The man made a pack of cigarettes appear on the palm of his left hand, draw one from it and asked for some fire from the dragon-slayer. Natsu raised a finger and lit a little flame on the tip, allowing the man to light his venom without further adding. 'Thank you.'_

'_Talking about losing time, where are those two? I thought they were going to catch up with me on the frontier close to Bosco.' The man sighed again with smoke included and started to talk but this time his voice sounded weird._

'_Wake-They're-Natsu-Bosco-up-you-Wake-but-Damn-it-Master-five-something-close-or-danger-Natsu!' Now Natsu understood, outside his dream, his friends were trying to wake him up. He tried to fight against it and listen to the last words that the man was saying. 'Garreth-isn't-close-anything-to-help-town-now!-Wait-Natsu-tonight-Mira-light up-move-candles-repeat-window…'_

Not tolerating the pain that it brought to his mind the mixing of words from the man in his dream and the people outside of it, Natsu woke up with droplets of sweat all over his body and at least 3 familiar figures around his bed. Gildartz, Mirajane and Gray were all looking with relief at his awakened form and started to smile at their long absent friend; to which he didn't know if to feel offended for they interrupted a very important discussion or to pretend that he didn't know what was going on and explain later… he opted for the second choice. "Hey guys… What did I miss?"

"Welcome back, Natsu!" Yelled Mira to the top of her lungs as she flung herself to him and hugged him with all her strength, to which Natsu immediately prepared and failed to counter. Mira didn't change much, except for her hairstyle, one similar to that of her younger days; and the color of her dress, which was the same as her eyes. He was almost left without breath and unconscious again if it weren't be that Gray and Gildartz told the woman to tone the hug's strength a little, letting the boy hug her back in appreciation and also letting Gildartz take the opportunity to address the Dragon-Slayer now that he was sure to stay with them.

"Hey kid, how've you been? I hope that you aren't crashing on the rooftops of every town you visit as you did yesterday." He let out a hearty laugh as he looked at Natsu's embarrass face for the stunt he did on his return. Gray was the next to speak, his voice didn't change a lot, it sounded _manly_, as Elfman put it, and his hair and clothes were the same… and he was still stripping unconsciously if what Natsu saw him doing now told anything.

"Hey flame brain! Trying to check if your head was still hard enough or just showing off?" He said mockingly to what Natsu only shrugged and smirk at him, letting Mira stand correctly at the side of the bed now that she hugged him long enough.

"If I were to check on that, don't you think it would have been better to crash it against yours?" Gray was left speechless along with Gildartz and Mira; the three thinking how come Natsu didn't get angry at him like he used to and instead said something intelligent in return… maybe he matured? Anyway, the pink-haired took the chance and quickly addressed the other two with a big smile and thumb-up. "Hi Old man, Mira, I'm fine and you?"

"I'm not old! And I'm fine thank you for asking," Said the tall man while ending his sentence with a cough, he looked at Natsu seriously and asked for the other two to leave the room to let the others know of his awakening, and also leave the dragon-slayer with him for some questioning. "Tell me, who were you talking to?"

"Uh?" Trying to play dumb as best as he could, Natsu evaded the question and looked confusedly at the man, he knew that Gildartz was going to notice the usage of that magic but he also knew that he couldn't tell anyone of his outside friends and their coming. "With you, Gray and Mira, right?"

"Don't try to fool me, Natsu, I can recognize that spell a mile away, you were talking in your dreams with someone," The young man cursed internally, he should have avoided getting unconscious and slept on his own house to keep the secret, now he wouldn't be able to get Gildartz off his back. He sighed and looked at the white sheets that covered his body seriously; he needed to leave clear his motives and who his associates were without revealing too much too soon.

But when he was about to speak, the door burst open and almost the entire guild entered the room, surprising the old man and moving him from his position at the bed's end; almost throwing him out the open window to a free fall 2 floors down. Recovering from the stampede fast and moving through the crowd skillfully, Gildartz left the room but not without leaving a clear message to Natsu. That made the boy gulped in fear. "We'll continue later…"

The fire dragon-slayer was now overwhelmed with the screams of joy, questions, news and everything else he missed or they wanted him to tell them. He was getting another headache and was sure that if something didn't happen any time soon, he would end up losing his patience and his facade. But luckily the older members like Macao and Wakaba calmed the youngsters after seeing the pained look on Natsu's face.

"So Natsu! How did it go?" Asked Macao after managing to calm the other mages, Natsu appreciated the old man interruption since he could completely grasp now what everyone was asking him. The boy looked down a moment and let everyone understand that it didn't go too well, however, he immediately raised his head with a full fledge smile as always. His friends let a sigh of relief wash over them.

"I didn't find Igneel or clues of where he is, but I found other dragon-slayers like me!" This made everyone quiet and made Gajeel, who was listening close to the door, spat at such information and rush to the boy's side pushing everyone out of his way and ask his fellow with his eyes meeting intensively at Natsu's calm ones.

"Others? How many?" Natsu frowned a bit at Gajeel skepticism and harshness but answered nonetheless with a straight face.

"Almost fifty dragon-slayers dispersed around the continent," Everyone looked wide-eyed at what was being told by their first dragon-slayer.

Fifty dragon-slayers?

That meant that there were like fifty dragons!

And fifty mages that could cause destruction like their fellows around the continent!

Everyone started to fear the thought of them ever deciding to do a reunion or gathering in Fiore. It could mean the destruction of the town or city they choose! Holy Igneel! It could mean the destruction of Magnolia, if Natsu invited them to their guild! This were the thoughts that crossed almost everyone's mind, except for Gajeel's, he was more excited to meet and defeat those others so much that he let an evil cackle out unconsciously.

Natsu sweat drooped at everyone's reaction and felt a shiver down his spine when he heard the cackling Gajeel, so he cough on his fist calling everyone's attention and reassure them that he did not invite those others to the guild.

This calmed his friends but Gajeel felt like they stole him his iron of the day… really pissed! He immediately grabbed Natsu by his scarf and growled to his face, to what the other only whispered a few words that shocked and calmed the iron dragon-slayer down and made him exit the room without further comment or growling.

The pointy-eyed boy only grinned to his fellows and dismissed the incident as if it was nothing and continued talking, despite the looks of shock and suspicion that were sent his way. "They couldn't come to the guild because of personal issues but we're going to meet in a few months… I think some of them are heading here already because of the long distance…"

Outside the town, there was a cat sleeping peacefully under the shade of a tree that was roughly woken up by the powerful scream that came from Fairy Tail. Natsu scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he looked how his fellows started to plan desperately countermeasures to what they called 'The Apocalypses' or 'End of Times', they end up leaving the kid alone in the infirmary with his own musings, just as he wanted.

But he couldn't enjoy that time alone for long enough as he watched how Gajeel entered the room again with a face that meant business. "You know? I missed the guild and everyone in it, is so sad that I'll have to abandon it so soon after returning to it..."

"Abandon it?" Gajeel's eyes widen at the comment, but did nothing but stare as he saw that Natsu was not joking or at least making signs that he was. The pinkette took the silence as an order to explain himself to his fellow, which he did.

"There's ten dragon-slayers in Fiore, five of them are natural like you and me and the other five are like Laxus and that Oracion Seis guy call Cobra, I understand that while I was gone another dragon-slayer arrive at the guild, right?" The fact that Natsu was speaking seriously and knew about the new one surprised the red-eyed man, who couldn't do anything more than nod and let his frienemy continue. "Well, besides her, Wendy, you and me, there's yet another natural dragon-slayer in Fiore but he's imprisoned… with the others help, we plan on rescue him."

Gajeel felt his eyes widen for the second time that the day, if what the boy said was true, then that dragon-slayer was keep in jail in the… "You are planning an attack on the…! ?"

Before he could complete that sentence, Natsu had him fast against the wall with a hand over his mouth, a serious look eyeing him straight to his eyes and telling him to not say that name out loud. "Yes." The young man answered dryly while frowning at Gajeel's attempts to release himself from his grip. "I cannot give you more details yet, as I have yet to know if you're trustworthy, but yes; we plan to attack Era and release him before the end of the year, we don't want those madman from Fiore's branch do to him what they did to one of ours years ago."

Finally releasing the man from his grasp, Natsu took two steps back and waited for the man's questions that were sure to come but instead, Gajeel gave a death glare for the holding against the wall and walked to the closest window, making a sign for the other man to follow him. "Let's talk it in a more private place…"

Nodding to the other's request, Natsu followed Gajeel through the window and out the guild, to what he could discern as the remnants of the building that was once the main base of Phantom Lord.

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><p><em>(Country of Bosco; Nirad port.)<em>

Two hooded men were walking down the street at a calm pace, scaring the people and merchants, and raising suspicion from the town's guard that was quick to send at least 3 men to watch them closely. The 2 men only continue walking like nothing, eying the people around them, letting them see their bright and strange colored eyes for their own amusement at their reactions.

The look that the one on the right did was so scary that it ended up scaring and making cry a little girl that happened to get in their path. He immediately jumped in fear at the little girl's reaction and started to throw apologies to her in an attempt to calm her down, annoying his companion and letting the guards have a reason to question them. A tall guard that looked like the higher ranked addressed them in a harsh tone, stopping them in their actions and making them turned around to face the group with their bright eyes.

The other two guards cower in fear at the eyes that the hooded men had but the tall one kept a straight face and continued with his questions that were answered with complete silence each and every time. This made a vein pop-up on his forehead; he loosed his patience and ordered the other two guards to proceed and arrest the strangers but to his surprised his men runaway along with the people on the street. "What the…! ?"

"Listen, we're just passing by this town," Said the one on the right while his partner growl viciously, the tall guardsman felt his legs shaking as the sound reminded him of the time he met a lion. "We're not looking for trouble, leave us alone and your life will be forgiven…"

This tipped off the tall guardsman and made him unsheathed his sword in anger at these outsiders' proclamations. They thought they could cross the town like they own it and order the city guard as if they were gods?

Not on his watch.

He charged at them with his sword up and a mighty war cry but before he could notice it, the one on the left was gone… and a dozen spears were pointing at his throat. Looking back through the corner of his eye, he saw the missing one holding one of the spears and pointing it right at his spine. "Look, we've been traveling for almost two months, crossed a goddamn desert to later face your fucking snowstorms and blizzards! And now you come and try to bother us with your rules and shit! ? I'm so fucking pissed that I don't know why I didn't kill you yet! So listen to my friend's calm warning and leave us alone or die!"

The guard could only nod slowly at the threat and after that, all the spears disappeared but the one that the guy was holding. Falling butt first on the floor, he heard another growl and felt a death glare coming from the man. "If you try anything again, I'll skewer you like a pig and exposed your death raped body on the city square! Got it?"

Leaving the poor guardsman to faint and piss on his pants with the terrible threat, both men restarted their walking through the street without more trouble. The guy to the right sigh tiredly at his companion's past behavior to which the other only snickered in a mocking fashion. "At least I was going to give him a quick death; you were going to make him suffer slowly and painfully if he didn't heed your warning, Fuyu…"

"That's why I'm sighing; you never let me have any fun, Kurisu…" Both men let a dark laugh envelop them as they scared the living soul of the people that crossed near them, all backing away, even the city's guards after hearing how easily they overwhelmed their lieutenant. "Do you think Natsu understood the Master's message?"

"Hell if I know! That brat is so fucking unpredictable that I don't even know what he thinks!" Disregarding the cursing the other man started to think with a hand on his chin, showing a silver-blue ring with the form of a dragon biting its own tail.

"I just hope that he doesn't back down from the plan because of meeting his friends once again; that would be unacceptable…" The other made the spear disappear and let another laugh out as he pulled the hood back from his head, showing his scarred face and a single sharp fang coming from his mouth, alongside his hardened features, dark hair and red eyes. But what called more the attention was the intricate black tribal tattoo that ran along the left side of his face.

"You would make him suffer if that happens, right?" It was the turn of Fuyu to laugh, only that this time it was a maniacal one that almost sent a shiver down his partner's spine.

"Yeah… That is a nice thought…" Kurisu release another laugh while they both continue walking, now exiting the town and going back to the frozen roads of Bosco that lead to Fiore, to Natsu and to their objective.

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><p><em>(Magnolia; outskirts to the north.)<em>

'_I warned Natsu of your possible arrival on Magnolia tonight, he'll light candles on the windows of his house, be careful that no one sees you enter the place and do whatever Natsu tells you to do, Garreth.' The strange man from Natsu's dream told to the one in front of him in a rushed manner, to what the other only nodded in response. 'Fuyu and Kurisu would be arriving in a month approximately, tell Natsu to have everything in order for their arrival.'_

'_Yes, Farseer.' He said in a monotone voice while coming back to reality and cutting the connection with his superior._

Waking up in less than a second after the communication was cut, Garreth found himself lying on one of a tree's many branches, the leafs' shadow covering his body from the sun and people that could pass nearby. He took a look at his surroundings and after checking that no one was close, he jumped down the tree and started running in direction to the south, to where the town of Magnolia was located, which was just a few miles away now that he pushed himself during the night before. "Farseer and Natsu-sama will be pleased with my steadfastness for the cause."

Running down the road, his dark figure let itself be touched by the sun's rays and his hood fell due to the wind's effect, showing his bright silver, shoulder length; hair and white eyes, and his stoic young face that shown him as a person that saw a lot on his life. Nothing seemed to disturbed the man on his run to the town but the almost impossible thought that he could not make it in time, which was almost nonexistent and left as fast as it came.

'For Farseer and Natsu, we'll free Jellal Fernandez.' Was this last thought, he spotted the town where the second part of their plan would begin, where he was supposed to meet Natsu Dragneel, where the change in the magic world would begin; be it for the better or the worst of everyone in it.

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><p><em>(Era; Magic Council's prison.)<em>

_'Be ready, the time is almost close.' Said the strange man while his form merged with the dark surroundings to a completely_ _startled blue haired man. 'Jellal Fernandez, you'll be free once again.'_

_'But I don't want to be free! Not at that cost!' His screams fell on deaf ears as he noticed that his consciousness was coming back to him._

Jellal Fernandez didn't understand anything that was happening. In the last six months, his 'normal' life in prison was turned upside down.

At the start, something entered his cell while no one was looking and did something to the tattoo that was on his face and now he met a strange man in his dreams that told him to be ready since his imprisonment was about to come to an abrupt end.

Sincerely, he was more than a little happy with the idea of getting out but when he heard the name of the one that planned to release him, he took every chance he had with the strange man to try and talk them down from doing it.

He wanted to be free, breath the fresh air and look at the skies as he did when he was revived during that incident with Nirvana and the dark guild, Oracion Seis; but not if it cost the freedom of a lot people and specially the freedom of Natsu Dragneel.

'Natsu,' He thought while his jailers dropped a bowl with some water on his cell and quickly took their leave. 'You said that I made Erza cried and that was what made you hate me so much, but... What'll you do when Erza and the rest of your guild witness what you are about to do?'

Think was the only thing that Jellal could do while in lock-down, think and pray that something made Natsu withdraw from such an idea. But his past experience with him told him one thing, and it wasn't a positive one; Natsu always manages to fulfill his objectives and goals.

**To be continued.**

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><p><strong>This was a prototype of an Romance-Fantasy FF story.<strong>

**Good reviews are welcome, flames will be use to feed Natsu and those of you that read but don't review, will be haunted in your dreams by the strange man.**

**Thanks for reading, this is my very first story -from the many that I now have- and I hope that you find it of your liking.**

**R&R is a sure way to let me know how to improve, so even if you can't think of something to say or are not used to review, please leave one; it encourages me to write better and more. ^^**

**Saludos.  
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**Remake 01/30/12: Prologue improved, mistakes corrected, real names from the manga added, and some other things.**


	2. Blend the Future Part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**I do own the idea for the fic though.**

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><p><strong>Knowing it from the beginning.<strong>

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Blend the future Part I – The Preacher, the Initiate and the Inquisition.<strong>

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><p><em>(Magnolia; Remnants of Phatom Lord's main base.)<em>

Natsu followed Gajeel all the way to the destroyed building that once was Phantom Lord's main base and entered with him without looking at the surroundings that were sure to bring memories back to him. They ran all the way to the main hall where Erza alongside Makarov, fought and defeated Jose Porla. It was there where Gajeel stopped and turned to look at Natsu's still straight face. "Now, no one is here and no one will come, talk before I regret it…"

Natsu didn't say anything; he just stepped closer to the dragon-slayer and raised a hand, pointing a finger at one of Gajeel's piercings. Nothing happened for a while, until the tip of the pink-haired's finger started to glow and he closed the distance between it and the piercing, touching it gently and reciting something in a hushed voice. Gajeel only look at him in questioning after the finger lost his light and he felt nothing on his face, Natsu then lowered his arm and took a seat on the ground closing his eyes. "Close your eyes and try to sleep, everything will be explained in your dreams…"

"Okay, but it better not be some kind of cheap trick…" Gajeel did the same, dropping roughly on the floor cross-legged and putting his hands on his knees. He concentrate on sleeping and in a few minutes he felt himself withdrawing from consciousness and into total darkness, where he found Natsu standing in front of him with a man next to him. Looking closely, Gajeel was able to grasp the aspect of that man. Tall as him, slender body, weird clothes, dark purple hair and eyes, with pronounced dark circles all around his orbs; he didn't look all that different from other people he found in his missions but the red-eyed could tell from the aura the man emanated that he was strong and not one to mess around with.

'_Is this the Iron Dragon-slayer, Natsu?' Said the man in a deep raspy voice while walking around Gajeel and eyeing him up and down. Natsu nodded and crossed his arms. 'He seems to be close to the power you had when you leaved Fiore, doesn't that worry you? What if he fails in one of his assignments? Would you be there to vouch for him?'_

'_Yes.' Natsu's voice sounded serious as the look in his eyes, Gajeel swallowed nervously and steeled his face and resolve. It seemed that whatever he had to do if he accepted was going to be worse than a 100 years mission. 'But I don't think that he could be capable of failing. After all, he's a Dragon-slayer like me.'_

'_Instead of discussing if I have the strength or anything for the job, why don't you tell me already that plan of yours and who's that dragon-slayer that the council has imprisoned?'_

'_Oh, yes. Please take a seat, is a long story this one.' Being the one to say it, the man made a movement to sit on a chair which Gajeel thought as foolish since there was no chair but he was surprise to see that a chair actually appeared down the man and Natsu. He did the same and found himself sitting in a comfortable chair too. He looked in wonder at the other two and was met with a simple word. 'Dream.'_

'_What?' He asked, not fully grasping what he meant by that word._

'_This is a dream; in it all that you want can and will appear at your whim.' Now he understood. So, if he thought of being back on the Phantom Lord building, it would appear around him, and to his surprise, it did. 'Please, I like it better in darkness.'_

_The place turned dark again, to Gajeel's displeasure and the other two amusements. Natsu spoke this time, trying to hold back his laughter. 'Don't worry; you will grow accustomed to his antics.'_

'_Gajeel Reedfox. Iron dragon-slayer. Double agent. Member of Fairy Tail and Raven Tail at the same time, we have a proposition for you;' Said the man, surprising the guest with his knowledge of him. 'But first, listen to our motives.'_

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><p><em>(Era; Magic council's reunion chamber.)<em>

"We have receive more news my fellow mages," Addressed Guran Doma, the new chairman of the reformed Magic Council to his colleagues. "Thirteen sightings of foreign wizards this week, of which, eight of those are masters of the Lost Magic. Dragon-slayer."

Several of the members were shocked with the news and started arguing about the matter heatedly before the chairman shut them down with a hit of his cane on the floor. "This makes twenty foreigners in the past month, fifteen dragon-slayers and five foreign magicians that entered our lands from the north and east without a true motive in light, and it adds even more turmoil in our guilds; since many of this foreigners are attacking legal and illegal guilds all-over Fiore."

"I request that we send the Rune Knights to arrest each and every one of these foreigners, they cannot wander through Fiore and attack on our guilds without motive!" Several agreed to that call but the chairman had more to say yet.

"These foreigners only attacked our legal guilds when they hit first so there's no crime but to us, though, they are the reason behind the dark guilds now constant raids on towns and cities, they are looking for revenge and they do nothing to stop the problems they have caused." One of the women from the council, whom was in deep thought, raised her hand to speak. "Yes, Councilwoman Ifridea?"

"Couldn't it be that they are causing chaos on purpose as to divert our eyes from something else?" Several started to mutter under their breath, but she continued nonetheless. "Maybe they want our defenses lightened down with all the troubles they're causing to make an attack on Era or the Capital, Crocus."

Now an uproar was heard, everyone rose from their seats and started to yell about how that could not be possible and several other things but the chairman only stood still while thinking about what he heard, only coming to talk when he saw that the arguments that his colleagues were letting out were getting nowhere. "How did you reach to such a conclusion?"

"Let us not forget about what happened to the last council my fellows, Jellal Fernandez averted our eyes to others matters to make his attack from the inside without much effort." She eyed the map on the table that marked each and every one of the sightings in which the foreigners strike or appear. They didn't hold any pattern; they were just traveling through Fiore attacking dark guilds and legal guilds that dare to cross their paths. "Look at the map gentlemen, these foreigners don't strike any specific target, they are just wreaking havoc across our nation and our organization."

"That's very true," Said an old man that sat across Ifridea, looking at the map with a hand on his chin. "Look, from the moment they entered Fiore they attacked only those guilds that were in their paths, be them strong ones or weak ones, they are just heading somewhere and causing chaos in their path to sign their passing."

"So you're saying that they have one of our guilds on their side and they are heading to meet with it?" Said the chairman, understanding the train of thought that the councilman, Reteo; was having as he pondered on the matter. "If we look in the map then, we can predict their next movement and their destination, which is…"

"They're heading to Brammingmont…" Org stated first, discovering the next target of the outsiders.

"And Magnolia town." Said one of the councilmen with venom on every word, since he and the others now understood; those foreigners and all the chaos that they were causing was a sign to warn about their presence to the one or ones expecting them… and that was…

"Fairy Tail…" Said Guran while smashing the table in the middle and breaking it in two, startling his fellows and making them back away from him. "Those idiots are the cause of such chaos! ?"

"W-well… It could be just one of them, you see…" Councilmen Nilo said nervously while handing a paper with the names of the registered mages that entered Fiore in the last month; Guran's eyes widened in shock and surprise when he read the name written in the middle of the list. "There's a member of Fairy Tail that arrive not too long ago from a five years trip through the continent…"

"Natsu Dragneel…" Everyone in the chamber felt a shiver down their spine when the chairman said the name. He immediately screamed to the top of his lungs so as to make a point. "I want him arrested and questioned before the end of the week!"

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><p><em>(Fiore; Akane resort.)<em>

Trees moving at the pace of the wind, tourists enjoying the sun and the beaches, and guards on full-alert after receiving the heads-up about some people that were there; going room per room, patrolling the limits, seeking inside the hotel and the beaches for the foreigners that arrived not two days ago.

"Searching us." A tall cloaked man muttered to the short one standing next to him, his head moving from time to time to look at the passing guards; the short man, also hiding under a cloak, raised his arms and shrugged, walking on the opposite direction of the guards in between the alley in which they were hiding. "Fight them, Kid?"

"Oh please, no!" The short one -called Kid- stated dramatically, grabbing the other man's cloak by the arm and pulling him away from the street to avoid… any kind of disasters. "They're just guards!"

"Confront enemies." The tall man stood still on his spot, making the other fall to the ground at the stop of his movements. "Natsu's orders."

"Yeah, I know, but we also have to reach Magnolia!" Kid whispered loudly, standing up again and trying with no positive result to move his huge and heavy partner. "Priorities, you know?"

"Orders." The man repeated stubbornly, making the other release an annoyed growl.

"Shut up! We're to confront them if they strike first! Don't you remember, Verian?" The tall man -called Verian- remained quiet for a while, nodding in acceptance after remembering their leader's instructions. Kid –even if it could not be saw- smiled satisfied. "Let's go, there are no mages or guilds here, no battle for you today."

"Understood." And Verian started to move, following the short guy to the exit of the alley and coming across a squad of patrolling guards… much to the Kid's luck. The guards took a few seconds to register what was happening, standing on guard and surrounding the two foreigners after noticing that they were the ones they have been searching for.

"Stay your ground and don't move!" The sergeant of the squad said to the two, pointing a sword at them and commanding two of his men to move and restrain their objectives. "You're under arrest!"

"Orders?" Verian asked to his partner, Kid releasing a tired sigh before nodding.

"Orders." He replied before moving back two steps and letting his friend take care of the nuisance.

The guards didn't stand a chance from the beginning.

**To be continued.**

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><p><strong>First chapter, last attempt to see if the users like this story. I still remember when someone, who I don't recall, told me that I should write for the fun of it and not for the reviews; but that's just who I am, if I don't have even one single clue that the people like what I'm doing, I drop it in less than an football fan can say "GOAL!"<strong>.

**So this is it, story on stand-by until further notice.**

**Saludos.**

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><p><strong>Update 0130/12:**** Seems like some did like it, so here's a remake or improved version of the Prologue and 1st chapter. Enjoy! ^^**


	3. Blend the Future Part 2

**Know****ing it from the beginning.**

_(A __I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

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><p><strong>Chapter <strong>**2: Blend the future Part 2 – The Congregation, the Innocents and the Noble Knight.**

_South-east of Fiore; __inside the dark guild Death Trigger._

Even if the assumptions of the reformed Magic Council led them to the original source of the whole trouble that their organization was having since 3 months prior to the start of the story, they were wrong in something. Every and each of the attacks that the dragon-slayers and their fellows did in Fiore against legal and illegal guilds were planned, none of them were just mindless destruction to just divert the attention of the army of the council, the Rune Knights; but to weaken the guilds that were sure to take up arms if Era was attacked and destroy those dark guilds that would surely use the chaos to take control of the nation.

So far, most of the dark guilds in Fiore were disbanded or separated into smaller raiding parties, causing troubles in small towns or cities that didn't have many mages to defend themselves until the closer guild could come to help. Then half of the legal guilds gave news of severe damage to their bases and members, even to their masters; crippling them to accept missions or answer to the councils requests if they came up. Leaving the other rapidly diminishing half to take on themselves the growing piles of requests and thus, leaving them defenseless to an attack from the foreigners.

Right now, the list of wiped out dark guilds was about to increase by one more, if the sounds of fighting dying down inside the Death Trigger guild were anything to go by. There, in the middle of the guild's main hall; surrounded by the defeated members that were barely staying alive, were two hooded figures. Finishing off who was supposedly the guild's master with a single punch to the stomach that sent him flying against one of the walls. The one that did the finishing blow sighed annoyed, turning around to face his partner with crossed arms.

"This is boring, I thought that the people from this place were stronger than in our country," Said the hooded figure in an adult feminine voice. "But up until now there has been no challenge and you still haven't used your magic, Literio!"

The hooded guy only shrugged and started to walk to the exit, letting the woman to irritate with his lack of an answer. Kicking one of the fallen members to release some steam, she followed her partner outside, facing the bright sun and almost perfect weather that was doing that day.

"I don't get it; you're a dragon-slayer like Natsu-chan, why don't you have an appetite for fighting and your magic element?" To this, the only answer was another shrug and total silence, which further annoyed the woman to the point of using her magic to attack him. Putting her hands together she made appear her turquoise magic seal. "Air magic, Cyclone's B…!"

Before she could even finish her spell, her target disappeared from her sight and she felt two things. First, a flash of light going at her almost without her noticing it and second, how her partner was behind her before she even noticed it. He was holding her arms down in a tight hug with just his right arm and covering her mouth with his left. He drew his head closer to hers and whisper in her ear, unaware of the blush that was expanding on her face from the closeness. "I don't use it on weaklings, Asis, and because I know how to restrain myself. If your questions have been answered, let's continue to where Natsu-san is."

Releasing her from his arms, he restarted his walk down the road to the next town, Asis following close behind with her head low and arms crossed, mumbling quietly how much she hated it when he did that. Unbeknown to them, someone was watching from afar the whole scene, even the fight against the Death Trigger members and it was now meditating what to do after seeing the capabilities of both magicians while standing on top of a branch in a tree a few meters from the road hiding in between the leafs.

'Should I call the guild and ask for help or do it alone?' She wondered, at the same time she estimated how much it would take for the two foreigners to get to the next town. 'I'll call Mira and ask her for Gray and Lucy to intercept them in the next town; I'll keep track of them for the time being.'

Raising her right arm, she summoned a crystal orb which, after adding some magic in it; started to glow and showed a woman with long white hair and blue eyes. The woman smiled at her and asked her what she needed with a patient face. "Hello Mira, can you tell Gray and Lucy to meet me in Brammingmont in less than two days? It's urgent."

"Sure Erza, I'll let Natsu know too if you don't mind." The woman's eyes widened in surprise at the mention of the boy's name, letting a soft smile appear after a few seconds.

"So Natsu is back, how is he?" Mira chuckled with an amused smile at the question.

"He's taller, handsome and more powerful than when he left," Erza raised an eyebrow at the answer she received. "Also, he's hiding something, so if you see anything out of place when you meet him, let us and Master know."

"Hiding something? How did you come to that conclusion?" Mira looked at her sides, surely checking that no one was near her when she delivered that info or the other members find out about their suspicions.

"While he was sleeping, Master, Gray and I noticed that he was communicating with someone through Sleep Control Magic, when we woke him up with the cancellation spell, he denied being talking with someone or even knowing the spell."

"I see," Erza put her hand on her chin while thinking on the info she received, nodding seriously when she made up her mind. "Tell him to meet me with the others then, I'll keep him in check."

Mira answered with a smile and small thank you, cutting the transmission with her past rival and going to tell the former members of Team Natsu about the meet up. Erza jump down from the branch and started to follow in a slow pace the two foreigners that were a little more ahead from her. 'Sleep control Magic, that's use to communicate with people through dreams. Why's Natsu using that magic? Is he keeping in touch with someone from out Fiore?'

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><p><em>Phantom Lord ex-main base; main hall.<em>

'_So, Gajeel Redfox? Do you want to help us?' Asked the strange man while standing in front of the dragon-slayer and extending a hand down to him. Gajeel look up after some more thinking ad took the hand in a firm handshake, showing all his teeth in an almost completely berserk smile._

'_Count with me, I have long wished for an excuse to kick some council members, kekekeke!' The strange man released himself from the handshake and walk back to Natsu, nodding to him before merging with the darkness and disappearing from the place. Natsu got up from his chair, which disappear when he did that; and walk closer to his fellow, crossing his arms and looking at him quizzically, almost frowning when he saw his face._

'_You need to train Gajeel; otherwise the only one kick in our assault is going to be you.' Putting a hand in front of the man's face to stop him from saying anything Natsu raised his head with a shock expression. 'Someone is close to us! We better wake up before they discover us! Punch me with your iron club!'_

'_You don't need to ask for that!' He answered with an excited face, as he concentrated in waking up from the dream and going back to consciousness. _Feeling his eyes open, the first thing he saw was Natsu charging at him with a flamed fist which he rapidly avoided and taking advantage of the low guard, that he supposed the other left on purpose; he hit him square in the stomach with his iron club, extending it until he saw that the pink-haired crashed with the roof. Not long after all the movement, Gray and Lucy arrived at the place, finding them in a heated fight against one another to what the both of them sighed.

"You know, I kind of expect it to happen, but not so fast…" Gray mumbled quietly as he walked close to the iron dragon-slayer that eyed him questioningly, until Gray sighed again, looked into his pockets and handed the mage 5,000 jewels, all the time a smirking Gajeel was thankful that Natsu was the one to start the fight or at least asked him to punch him. "That reminds me, that I have to pay Macao and Wakaba too…"

"Yeah, you do that, I'm going back to the guild before the idiot comes back…" He said this and leaved the hall just when Natsu returned from the roof. He was about to continue his fight but Gray stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"We have a mission," This caught Natsu's attention and made him forget about the fight. "We need to meet with Erza in the Brammingmont in less than two days, she said it was important."

"Sure, It'll be nice to see Erza again and check how much stronger she got!" After this reply, Natsu looked behind Gray and noticed that Lucy was there too. He immediately run to her and trapped her in tight hug, much to her complains of him not doing that; his biggest smile never leaving his face. "Luce! How are you? It's been a while!"

"Hi Natsu, I'm fine but I'll be better when you release me!" She screamed with what was left of air in her lungs, Natsu let her go and started to walk past her. Turning around when he felt weird looks on his back and saw that his friends weren't following him. He smiled once again, feeling a little guilty in the inside for lying to them about his change persona; and pointed outside. "We can talk while we go to the train station, Erza will kill us if we're not in Brightmont in time!"

"It's Brammingmont, you... ah... I don't know why do I bother..." Lucy said before realizing something that Gray was too, late to figure.

'Train station? Since when is Natsu willingly wanting to go to the train station instead of walking all the way to the place?' Thought his two partners suspiciously, staying quiet for a moment and making Natsu realize that he made a mistake. That until Gray cleared his throat and started to walk outside, turning back to encourage his friends with a fake smile. "He's right we can talk all we want in the way there, let's hurry!"

"Yeah!" Natsu screamed to the top of his lungs, pretending to race Gray to the station while thinking. 'He's suspecting, I have to be more careful or they'll notice my act. Surely Erza is informed about my incident this morning, better not to low my guard around her or else, I'll have to…'

They ran all the way to the train station, like they used to in the old days, eyed attentively by a pair of red eyes. 'I better go wait for that Garreth guy, since that moron isn't going to be here for him…'

After that, he jump down from the destroyed tower of the building in which he was and started to head back to the guild, all the way thinking about what was at stake in the great battle that was about to come and where his loyalties really were.

**To be Continued.**

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><p><strong>The second chapter and I feel thankful for the reviews that I got. Thanks to <strong>_Age-Persona _**and **_NxE-Forever _**for your reviews. You and the visitors that read this story are my reason for continuing with this story.**

**Until the next chapter, hope to see what you think of this new chapter.**

**Saludos.**


	4. Blend the Future Part 3

**Knowing it from the beginning.**

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>**: Blend the future Part 3 – Wishing for the best, hoping for the worst.**

_For the group of foreigners and our friend, meetings were first order business these days, since everybody needed to report daily their advances through Fiore and the actions that they take, every day, at midday was obligatory to take a nap. Yes, a nap. And report to the rest what transpi__red during the day and few hours; if the member woke up early, before to the meeting. Right now, the meeting was a little heated, several members were discussing about what they found indignant of Fiore and the ruling that the Council had over the mages of the country. To say the least, it seemed like it was going to be a very long nap._

'_Pretending that everything is fine when in reality they are plotting for the disgrace of everyone, tha__t is what we're facing.' Literio said calmly, his arms crossed and eyes closed. Stating what he saw and heard during his short time in Fiore. 'And that's not all; they're banning the usage of several kinds of magic in this country, classifying them as dangerous.' _

'_That__'s ridiculous! Many of that "forbidden" magic can take years to learn, even more to master!' Screamed a green haired man at his side, his eyes showing distaste for the subject they were talking._

'_We know that, the ones who don't know are the mages of Fiore! Tell them instead of being yelling it at us!' Counter a petit girl with blonde hair tied up in a short ponytail. She covered her ears to emphasize her words. _

'_Adding more,__' Garreth spoke while frowning and raising his voice a little, almost cutting his monotone and imperturbable persona. 'They lock down every mage that shows innate ability to that magic, they even arrest the travellers from other countries.' _

'_Yeah! They put in prison seven of my countrymen!' Kurisu screamed. Unconsciously summoning a sword in his hand because of the fury he felt. 'They are all good friends that would never think of using Fiore's so-called-forbidden magic in a bad way! I say that we release everybody now!'_

'_Calm my friends, let's not do anything rash__ that we may regret later. We have sacrifice a lot to make it this far.' The strange man with dark purple hair said calmly to everyone in the dark place. 'Natsu-san is about forsake everything he considers precious to him in this crusade too, as each and every one of us in this place surrendered something for the greater good. We'll have opportunity to release all the innocents when we strike Era's prison, until then, we'll have to follow the plan.'_

'_Good words for someone who didn't do anything more than establish this way to communicate with each other…!'__ Asis was cut short by Natsu and a sudden rise in temperature that affected all of the present._

'_Do you even know how this sleep control magic works! ?__' Natsu growled while glaring menacingly at her. 'He has been sleeping for the past year and hasn't woken up to do something else in all that time!'_

'_Admirable.' Fuyu stated, closely followed by Literio's almost surprised voice. 'He has forsaken his freedom.'_

'_If he were to even wake up for a minute, the whole connection would shatter and we would be unable to communicate with our still separated friends until the spell is restarted.' Natsu finished while calming slightly and giving a step back, returning at the side of the strange man._

'_I-I didn't know that… S__orry…' Asis said, recovering from the intense glare she received, alongside a terrible magic pressure that almost crushed her bones and it seemed that only she felt. _

_Natsu scoffed and brushed her apology, pointing at the strange man with a flamed finger. 'It's okay, as long as everyone understands that when he said "each and every one of us", he also included himself, I'm fine. You should apologize to him.'_

'_No need, I understand that not many are aware of the counters of this magic, so I already forgave her when she recognized her mistake.' The strange man interceded, preferring to brush the whole incident aside. 'In more important matters, Natsu here has arrived to his town and his guildmates already suspect that something is off, we need to hurry the plan before they discover what he got himself into…'_

'_Or he spills out the truth to one of those girls from his guild.' Kurisu whisper loud enough to Fuyu, earning a grin from almost every man in the place, a frown from the women and a sigh from the strange man._

'_What did you say__! ?' Natsu asked furiously while stepping closer to the maniac, his entire body on flames to try and cover the hints of a blush on his cheeks that didn't go unnoticed by his fellows._

'_Come on! Everyone here knows.' Kurisu said defensively while raising both hands in surrender and stepping back from Natsu and the heat, his grin never leaving his face._

'_You son of a…!' Natsu was about to punch the guy when a cold hand from the strange man, who was behind him, grabbed his wrist and stopped him dry before he could do anything to Kurisu. He later turned to every one of the present and spoke calmly while returning to his place with Natsu on toe. 'Calm everyone. Natsu's love life is not important; in fact, that just give us one more reason to hurry.'_

'_You too! ?' Natsu let a betrayed look took over his features while pouting, while the strange man hided his amused smile to everyone but him._

'_Told you.' Kurisu said while grinning and hiding behind an annoyed Fuyu._

'_Shut up!'_

'_Shut up the both of you! You're giving me a headache!' The petit girl said again as she yet again covered her ears with her hands. The strange man, seeing that the argument was finished restarted the meeting._

'_So, should we hurry or stay as we are?' Several answered the first option, much to Natsu's chagrin. Although, instead of glaring or pressuring everyone with his magic he turned his back to them and crouched on the floor, doing small circles with his finger. _

'_Now I know that none of you trust me… I feel betrayed…' A few snickers were heard but Natsu paid them no attention as he continued doing circles. This earned him a chorus of laughs that didn't last long as one the members gave a loud cough that turned the looks of many to him. Everyone saw a man with blue hair in the place, looking timidly at the inexistent floor._

'_Yes, __Baron?' The strange man asked in a kind voice, remembering how timid the boy that called everyone's attention was._

'_D__-do we k-know anything about Ta-ta-ta-tartaros?' Several mixed looks were exchanged as the boy sighed in relief for not being the center of attention anymore, no one knew anything about the dark guild that was the last from the Balam Alliance and was the most probably to do something at the same time they fulfill their objective. When the looks turned to Natsu, he shake his head in negation, since he arrived he hadn't heard anything about the only active member of the alliance or its whereabouts._

'_Did we almost forgot about them or it's just my imagination?' The green haired man spoke in mock amusement, the others only frowning at his question._

'_Perhaps, since they didn't make a move in a long while it wouldn't' be a surprise to forget them or their importance.' Asis pointed out._

'_No one heard anything? Not even about their members?' Asked the strange man; shaking heads being his only answer to his question._

'_Then it is to assume that they have disbanded or just waiting to see if we are on their side.' Said Fuyu while looking at the ground, the others thinking along the same line. 'Either way, they are going to be a pain in the ass.'_

'_Maybe they are scare of our power!' Kurisu screamed confidently earning a sweat dropped from all his partners._

'_Let's not assume anything yet, we know close to nothing about them. Not even how many members do they have, or where they are.' Natsu said still sitting on the floor but facing his comrades. 'Best option is to stay on guard and be ready for anything, keep our ears and eyes on things that could point to them moving or taking advantage of our action. We're causing chaos to divert attention and make the job easier, not to give the country in a silver plate to the first party that wants it.'_

'_That's right, even if we don't like the way things are here, we are just to release Jellal Fernandez and leave. Nothing more nothing less.' The petit blonde girl said while giving two steps back and merging with the darkness around her, understanding that the meeting was over but not leaving without some parting words. 'Meet you guys in Magnolia…'_

'_I'm at the outskirts of the town, so I'll meet this Iron Dragon-Slayer and follow the orders you gave me Natsu-san.' Garreth said while disappearing like dust in the wind. 'Until next time, see you in the next meeting.'_

'_So it's over? Yeah__! Bye losers!' Kurisu said while laughing and disappearing through the floor alongside Fuyu._

'_Bye __everyone'_

'_See you!'_

'_Bye.'_

'_Be nice with us tomorrow Natsu-chan!' Asis said while merging with the darkness along Literio. 'Hope to see you in action again!'_

_And soon, everyone disappeared. Back to their jobs and on the way to Magnolia, leaving just Natsu and the strange man to talk privately about other things, the strange man turning to face the pink-haired boy who was still sitting cross-legged on the floor with a bored look. 'You do know that if you were to be discovered the whole plan would fall to pieces, right?'_

'_Of course I know, what I don't know is why you are saying that again.' The strange man sighed and sat in front of the fire-eater in a similar fashion._

'_Because of your predictability my friend, the second you start to doubt if to not tell your guildmates is wrong, is the second we're going to start the plan B… and you know that plan B is not better that plan A…'_

'_I know that… but, seriously, why cannot we tell them or even include them in the plan?'_

'_Because when you tell them, they are going to try and talk you out of it, blame us for getting you into this when actually it was your idea and tell you all kinds of things when you say that it was your plan.'_

'_Oh, really? Things like what?'_

'_Are you an idiot? Natsu, why are you doing this? Are you serious? You know you're betraying the guild too? And many other things that with enough thinking from your part would make the plan crumble even before plan B is put into action…'_

'…' _Natsu kept quiet. Thinking in what was told to him. It was true; his old friends would side against him if he were to tell them that he's the reason behind all the chaos that was happening in Fiore at the hands of the foreign magicians. He was also sure that some of his closest friends would try to talk him out of it every chance they get to and also, if the situation presented itself, one of them would side with him in front of everyone… only to spy him and the group, alerting the others of their abilities and magic powers, and most important: the date in which they were to strike the council. Getting out of his musings, Natsu faced the strange man again, a troubled look still on his face._

'_Seriously Natsu, do not tell them, at least don't do it before the others arrive… when the last from us gets to Magnolia, you're to do what you want be it for the good or bad of your friends…'_

'…_Okay… I'll wait…' The strange man stood up from his seated position and started to walk to the darkness, his figure vanishing with every step._

'_Good, then, see you later Natsu…' Natsu waved good bye and closed his eyes, concentrating on waking up from the dream and back into consciousness. _Back into reality, he found himself being dragged around by a half burnt Gray with a soot covered Lucy looking at him from time to time as they walk through a street from a city he didn't know about; he immediately supposed that it wasn't the place that they were going to but why his friends were like they entered a house in fire was out of his mind. "Huh… where are we, Luce?"

"Don't know; we just stop to eat while the train gets fix…" He thought he heard some bitterness in her voice and a glare being directed at him from the man carrying him.

"…Did… something happen while I was asleep?" He was suddenly released by Gray when he said that, his head hitting the road rather hard. The dark haired man continued his walk to the closest restaurant as Natsu only stare at his retreating back and Lucy sighed, helping him in getting up from the floor and explaining what happened.

"What were you dreaming? Whatever that was, it made you get angry and light up in fire twice! The whole train would have been burned to the ground if it weren't because of Gray's ice magic…" Natsu blushed slightly at the memory of the meeting and the two times he used his magic in the dream, first when the strange man was insulted and second when it was mentioned that he could be capable of spilling out the truth to one of his girl friends from the guild. "Were you dreaming… about someone?"

"Huh? No! No! I wasn't dreaming about a girl or anything!" Lucy eyed Natsu suspiciously before smiling softly and turning to follow Gray to the restaurant. Natsu followed close behind her. "Hey! What was that smile supposed to mean! ?"

"Nothing, just remembering that you are a guy too and think about girls as any other…" Natsu nodded at her answer, only to frown at the implications of what she said.

"Wait a minute! You don't see me like a guy most of the time?" Lucy bitted back a laugh and continued to walk calmly with a fuming Natsu at her side.

"That's right." She said while enjoying how her friend was losing his patience. In reality, he wasn't mad at her for what she said because she didn't mean it, and she knew this as well so, after a few seconds both burst out laughing like the old times.

* * *

><p><em>Road to Brammingmont; a day away from the town.<em>

"Is she still following us?" Asis asked while kicking a rock in the middle of the road, a nod being her only answer. "She's good, if it weren't being because Natsu-chan told us that she was following us, we wouldn't have known of her presence until she made herself known…"

"True, is good to see that Natsu-san's partners are so skill but also bad." Literio said without losing sight of the front, or the feeling of their stalker following them at 50 mts away from behind in between the trees and bushes.

"Bad because they'll give us trouble and good 'cause…?" Asis didn't resist the urge and looked back, almost catching a glimpse of their stalker far away. Literio immediately grabbed her by the waist and turned her head back to the front.

"Please, eyes on the road," He said close to her ear, making her blush again and keeping her focus on what he said. "I'm starting to think that you like it when I do this…"

"S-shut up…!" She screamed before pushing him away and walking fast down the road, Literio watching her go with an amused smile which quickly vanished when he remembered that they were being followed. She didn't know why but every time he did that kind of things, she always ended up at his mercy and whim. In short, she hate it when he did that… and at the same time love it… not that she would openly admit it to him… yet. "You didn't answer my question!"

"On the good side, they could be great additions to our plan or have the strength to survive us when we fight against them." He said the last line with some anticipation in it, like hoping it to happen. His partner noticed this but kept quiet; almost agreeing with on that part… except for the pain it could cause Natsu to see his friends fighting against each other.

"You do know that Natsu-chan wouldn't like that, right?"

"Do you know that I don't care?

**To be ****continued.**

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><p><strong>Here you go, people, the third chapter. I'm glad I finish it before the weekend, I didn't want to work on the story on saturday or sunday when I could be enjoying outside... with the cold wind, the cloudy day, the low temperatures... What the **** did I do! ?<strong>

**Honestly, I started this chapter as to give hints of what the main pairing will be but it ended up showing that the group in which Natsu is, is not like the guild in which he was raised most of his life. Personal interests, jealousy, revenge, justice, etc. etc. In short, plotting behind plotting, everyone minding their own business regargless of their peers intentions.**

**Dear god, I hope I don't lose the plot in all this mess I'm doing.**

**Anyway, here you go, I hope you guys like it. Because I certainly did.**

**Saludos.  
><strong>


	5. Blend the Future Part 4

**Knowing it from the beginning.**

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>**: Blend the future Part 4 – Surprises that one doesn't expect.**

_Natsu's home, Magnolia town._

It was dark, it was cold and the wind was picking up in its pace. But none of that mattered to Gajeel as he tried to keep the candles lighted, he just waited for the man called Garreth to arrive soon or he would give him an introduction the Fairy Tail style for keeping him waiting and lighting candles in the middle of a windy night. _'Where the hell is he? !'_

Soon after he asked himself that question, he saw movement behind the house and he widened his eyes in surprise. _'Wow! I didn't even sense him coming!'_

Before he could even go to the door and look out for him, he was in the middle of the living room; well, it was the living-dinning-kitchen-bath-bedroom, of the house. The man, wearing silver plated armor, like medieval pikemen use to wear during medieval times, was bowing down in front of him. Introducing respectfully to someone who; he believed, was his superior before Gajeel who was awestruck at the entrance of the man.

"I'm Garreth Silverclaw, at your service." Gajeel smirked at the words, he was sure to have something to laugh of in the following days. He signaled the man to stand up and crossed his arms, giving himself some air of authority.

"Gajeel Redfox and you'll do anything I tell you to do." He said, eyeing the man as he stood up and bringing up the question he was urging to ask. "Did Natsu told you anything of importance?"

"He told me to meet with you at his home and ask you to introduce me to Fairy Tail." Gajeel widened his eyes at this. Was Natsu serious? Did he want to have someone infiltrated in the guild to follow their movements? He couldn't help but ask.

"Why's that?" Garreth looked at him straight in the eye after he survey his surroundings and answered at him with the most respectful voice he had.

"Because Natsu-san wants to be aware of the guild's movements during the time the plan takes over."

"I see; good, then I'll introduce you tomorrow at midday to the Master, I'll tell him that you were a member from Phantom Lord that is now looking for forgiveness and a good restart in a guild." Gajeel stated while marching to the door, he turned back before opening the door. "You'll stay here tonight and tomorrow you'll look for a place to stay, understood?"

"Yes… Gajeel-sama." He said knelling to him and looking how, the Dragon Slayer, left the room with a smirk on his face.

* * *

><p><em>Magnolia Town; Fairy Tail Guild, <em>_at the master's office._

"What! ?" Gildartz asked loud and clear, his voice almost throwing the men in front of him off balance, and his hands breaking the armrest's of his chair. He couldn't believe this. Natsu was the cause for the strikes that the foreigners were doing? Please, that would so ridiculous as Happy secretly trying to take over the world… something that he would check later if Natsu's involvement with the foreigners was true.

"What you heard Fourth Master of Fairy Tail; we are here to arrest Natsu Dragneel and take him to the Magic Council on Guran Doma's orders to question him on the recent strikes on hand of the foreigners in Fiore." Lahar said while straightening up himself from the sudden outburst of the old man, perfectly repeating what made the old man scream in shock.

Gildartz tried to relax in his seat, re-thinking the situation, if what Lahar said was true then they had every right to take Natsu into custody but… "He leaved yesterday with his team to intercept two of the group's members that are destroying our guilds and one of our mages found. Excuse me from questioning the Council's judgment but if Natsu were to be involved in that matter, don't you think he would avoid confrontation with the foreigners?"

"Clever move but what if he's there to help them? Sorry, orders are orders; tell us where he is and we'll go after him AND the foreigners that your guild members have tracking as soon as possible." Lahar said while frowning, his hate for Fairy Tail's elusive and carefree attitude showing perfectly to the guild master. Gildartz also frowned, he wanted to continue the argument but if the council said so, there was nothing more he could do.

"Okay, he went to meet Erza Scarlet at the town of Brammingmont with Gray Fullbuster and Lucy Heartfilia, they should be arriving there now." With that said Lahar excused himself, he and his guards abandoned the office, avoiding eye contact with the guild members that looked at them with curious and hating eyes on their path to the front door.

Gildartz sighed as he relaxed on his seat, should he tell Mira and alert the guys or let the council's guards arrest his friend? He didn't know, so, since he was recently appointed Master of the Fairy Tail guild, he did the second. But he told Mira nonetheless and the rest of the guild so they didn't question him later. He just wished that what Lahar told him wasn't true and that Natsu could come back to the guild safely with the others. It was a foolish wish, but one that was worth the effort in having.

"Mira, tell Erza that Lahar and the Rune Knights are going to that town too and that they are going to arrest Natsu." He said after exiting the office and going to the bar where the girl was doing her job, what he told her almost making her drop the tray she was carrying with many drinks on it.

"Are you serious?" She asked after leaving plate on a close table, he just nodded seriously, later turning to face the other members and telling them the same. Receiving an equal answer from them, he turned around and told Mira to get on with the message while he took time to calm and explain the situation to the others. But before she could move to the crystal ball, a strong hand grabbed her from the shoulder and she heard Gildartz saying something more to her that made her turned around to look at the man in shock.

"Tell Erza to keep it secret from Natsu…"

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><p><em>Br<em>_ammingmont, in time to meet Erza Scarlet and the foreigners._

Brammingmont. A calm farmer town that was surround to the east and west by rivers, the forest to the south and a lake to the north. Its population of mages was that of 100 and the rest of normal people. But even if the population was numerous enough, there was no guild established and there were only two magic stores in the whole city. Which explained why Erza wanted to intercept the troublemakers there and not in a bigger city. Even if there was possibility of doing heavy damage to the town than to a bigger one, she wanted to prevent them from destroying another guild if she and her friends were to failed, and time to alert the guild in case something went wrong. But going with our favorite team, they just arrived from Magnolia and were wondering if they should leave their stuff first or leave it for later and searched for their friend.

"Should we leave our stuff in a hotel or just go the town's outskirts to wait for Erza?" Lucy asked, after getting down from the train. His two partners on toe and having an argument about how was stronger after so many years of been separated. Lucy immediately took the opportunity to crank a joke on her friends' behalf. "Catching up after being separated for five years?"

"Hell no!" Both said, to what she laughed, it was lucky for them that Happy wasn't here or he would crack jokes on them too. But turning serious again, Lucy restated her question, making them stop and think about what she said. Gray being the first to talk and make her realize that he truly grew up in the past years. "Let's leave to hotel and meet Erza as quickly as possible; she will kill us if we're not there when the foreigners arrive."

"Good! Then stop bickering and let's move, if not, Erza isn't going to be the only one to butcher the two of you." The blonde haired girl said in a darker tone, making the two boys pale in fear and hugged each other shoulder to shoulder.

"Aye sir!" They said in unison before restarting their arguing again while following Lucy, she was glad that they haven't change a lot in the past years so that way she could make them do what she wanted. Walking through the streets, they noticed that the town was suspiciously quiet, not even a cat was on the streets, they were empty and the houses were closed tightly from the inside. Windows sealed with planks and doors with signs that clearly said that the place was evacuated. Lucy and the guys frown at that, did that mean that the people were already aware of the damage that the foreigners could do in their path?

"Leave your things in the alley; I don't think that the hotel is open." She said after leaving her backpack well hidden at the closest alley, Gray and Natsu following suit and the last one sighing in relief at seeing that no innocents were about to be harmed because of their plan. They continued walking until they reached the town's square, where buildings leave a triangle-like space for the people to sell their merchandise and where it stood a beautiful fountain in the middle. The houses looked the same as the one they come a crossed near the train station. Lucy felt a little drop of sweat falling down her face. "Looks like we'll have the town to fight against those guys…"

"Seems like it," Said Gray while eyeing their surroundings. "Nonetheless I hope that we don't have to fight…"

"Why? Are you scared of something happening to you?" Natsu said jokingly.

"No! I'm just thinking about not destroying the houses of the people that use to live here!"

"Aw! You've become too soft Gray, have you been hanging with Levy and Lucy too much while I was gone?"

"Ha! You wish! I'm just showing my caring side you moron!" They were forehead to forehead at this point.

"You're the moron! Ice butterfly!"

"Is that the best insult you have, feet warmer! ?"

"What did you say! ?"

"Guys!" Lucy said in her darker tone again, making them stop again and cower in fear. "Focus!"

"Well, well, look at what we have here…" Someone from on top of the rooftops said, catching the attention of the team and making them turn around to look at the speaker. It was a man wearing a tattered cloak, sitting at the border of the roof and waving his hand at them when they looked is way. "Hi, my fellow mages! Are you here to join us?"

"You wish!" Gray said while stepping to the front, Natsu frowning at his move but saying nothing. "What's your name and where's your partner? !"

"Well, you see, she's gone taking care of the woman that was following us." He said while pointing to the forest over the south, he later pointed at himself. "And I'm none-of-your-business!"

"Tsk, is that the best comeback you have?" Gray said while turning his back to the man while raising his arms and putting his hands behind his head. Eyes meeting with Natsu and Lucy, telling the first one to go and search for their red-haired companion as he and Lucy took care of the now angry man on the rooftop. After getting the message, Natsu nodded and waited for a moment to go away from the place without the man stopping him in the attempt. Gray nodded and turned around smirking at the hooded man who was now on the street in front of the building he was previously sitting on. "Guess that the people from out the country don't fight too much, I'm beginning to wonder if you'll be worth the effort of travelling for two days…"

"I'll make you re-think that question of yours stripper!" He said while pointing at Gray's now naked body, the boy looked down in shock, the girl at his side scream in shock and his friend laughed hardly at the bad habit that the ice mage still had. However, instead of letting the boy pick up some of his clothes, he took the chance to go fast against him with the intention to kick him in the chin. Failing because of a bright light and a strong hand gripping his leg, when he looked up, Gray raising his face with a smirk back in place while Lucy hold the key of the celestial spirit that she summoned. The hooded man looked in wonder for a long while at the thing that appeared out of nowhere and stopped his attack, it was an extremely tall, well-built bull covered a black & white patch coat. The only thing he was wearing was a blue speedo, a silver belt with a red buckle in the shape of a bull's head and a pair of black rubber boots. He had a gold earring in his nose and a bell on his neck. His chest was crossed by a belt with a scabbard for a giant axe that didn't scare the hooded man one bit.

"And you would be one of those celestial spirits that I heard of, right?" The hooded man said after the bull released his leg and allowed him to jump back a few meters. "One from the golden keys that represent the Zodiac…"

"That's right! And I'm here to help Lucy-san and her friend!" Taurus said with crossed arms and a serious look, earning a laugh from the hooded man. Who didn't notice when Natsu took his opportunity to leave the place or at least that was what they thought.

"Oh, sorry, it's just that your strong guy pose doesn't strike me as intimidating… I saw things more intimidating than you in my life I assure you…" He took out the long, hooded light cloak and revealed his body to his opponents, which looked at him in shock. His body was lean and built of average height, grey eyes, and spiky blonde-colored hair. But that wasn't what made the Fairy Tail look at him in shock; it was the terrible looking scars that covered most of the right side of his body. He was wearing a dark tank top under a short-sleeved yellow shirt, loose dark jeans ending below his knees with a simple belt keeping it in place and dark combat boots. "More dangerous too; but that doesn't matter right now! You're in our way and I'll be sure to remove you from it, be it as corpses or ashes!"

"Don't you mean dead or alive?" Gray said after getting out of his shock at the man's appearance.

"Whatever! Prepare to suffer!" He started to run at them with a fist risen which was quickly engulf in lighting to the surprise of his opponents that were later shock beyond reality when he screamed the name of his attack. "Lightning Dragon's Numbing Fist!"

"Lucy-san! Take cover!" Taurus screamed as he put himself in between the attack and his master/friend.

"He's a Dragon Slayer!" Lucy screamed the second she was out of her stupor, not noticing how close the man was to them but luckily Gray did, and acted quickly to save his friend.

"Dodge it!" Gray said at the same time he tackle her to get her out of the attack's way.

A large explosion and a big cloud of smoke was seeing from afar, Natsu stopping on his way to 'help' Erza without looking back at where his friends were. He just clenched his fists and teeth in regret and continue running to where he felt his other partner in the plan's magic being use, his only words for his now fighting friends being.

"I'm sorry… Guys..."

**To be continued.**

* * *

><p><strong>Well, here is a new chapter, and the things are getting exciting. Gajeel meets with Garreth, Gildartz is now aware of Natsu's situation and the Council's army is on their way to the town in which the team of mages that we all love has entered a fight against the Lightning Dragon Slayer no less!<strong>

**I could have made a larger fighting introduction but I'm thinking of making the next chapter full of fights, so you'll have to wait... Kukukukuku!**

**Now I'm leaving so I hope you guys liked it. Because I certainly did.**

**Saludos.**


	6. Bonus Chapter 1

**Knowing it from the beginning.**

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

* * *

><p><strong>Bonus Chapter 1<strong>**: Garret's first day.**

_(Natsu's home, Magnolia town. Midnight.)_

'So this was Natsu-san's house? I don't see anything out of the ordinary…' Garreth thought while looking at the room's strange… strange everything. A maid's outfit? A punching bag with a poorly draw person who was supposed to be someone called Erza? Hundreds of papers hanging on a wall with job requests completed? To say the least, the man was expecting something of the sort but not like this, the place was a museum of his leader memories with the guild Fairy Tail and his friends or teammates.

He started to walk around to look at the things closely, picking up some stuff from the room to see if something was missing from his inquisitive eyes and he found several fish bones neatly hidden under some old clothes. 'Surely leave there by his cat…'

He continued his investigation about his leader previous house while walking close to what was supposed to be the kitchen, which was in the same room as the bedroom and living room. More fish bones and some dirty dishes in the sink, that and a closed pot with something green and mushy dripping from the sides. He just made sure to memorize not to open the thing or accidentally drop it, he didn't want to clean it later or hold his breath if he couldn't find a place to stay the next day. 'Natsu-san… Your home… Is… Forget it…'

He walked to the bed; that happened to be a hammock, and moved everything that was on top of it, he needed to get some sleep for his presentation with the master tomorrow and talk with his companions if he had the chance. He sat on the bed and took a final look at the place, his white eyes scanning his surroundings twice before completely lying on top of the bed; without bothering to remove his armor or even covering his body against the cold wind that still entered from outside through the open windows. He just closed his eyes and let his body relax to sleep soundly as always.

_Then, opening his eyes again, he found himself in the all-too-familiar black surroundings that were his dreams lately. Meeting with the rest of the crew, which was either sleeping in their sleep or talking and hanging out while they waited for the time to wake up outside. __He was already sitting beside Literio and Asis when the others felt his presence, hearing the usual one-sided talk that they held every time they were together. He couldn't guess why Natsu put them together; they were excellent partners in combat; thing that was vital and also the reason of why Garreth worked alone, but they were clashing personalities when they were out of a fight, thing that happened most of the time ever since they got together one year ago for the plan._

"_Will you listen to me in this one?" She said while crossing her arms down her chest, an annoyed look crossing her face. Literio made nothing to indicate that he would… neither that he wouldn't, so she started talking again about how he was less in everything compare to Natsu, Garreth, Baron, Fuyu… every one of the men in the group but Kurisu._

"_Hey! How's that? ! I'm better than that dumbass in everything I can think of!" Kurisu scream outrage, Asis voice being loud enough for even him to listen it while asleep. She ignored him and continued her ranting at the still motionless and quiet Literio._

_Kurisu felt a vein pop up on his forehead, was she ignoring him? "Hey! I'm talking dammit!"_

_Still no response, it looked like she did. He grithed his teeth and walked closer to the two, a spear appearing on his open palm and showing a deadly glint at the point of it. This was when Garreth decided to move somewhere else, he was sure that the three; Literio included, were going to cause a mess, so he went close to Baron and the small girl with blonde hair tied up in a short ponytail._

"_Can I seat with you two?" He said respectfully, knowing of the strength of both mages and showing his respect for that. The small girl was the one to reply, since Baron always got scared by Garreth's way of being._

"_You can if you promise to keep quiet."_

"_I promise to keep quiet, Sera-san." He said nodding and sitting at the side of the girl, Baron moving a few places away from him. He didn't understand why the boy dislike him, was it his breath, his armor, or maybe his magic? He leaved the subject for another time and sat there enjoying; his way, the company of his fellows, looking how Kurisu got his ass handed by Literio when he tried to attack Asis from the back, how Natsu and some others laughed at his stupidity, and how Asis blushed slightly at her partner's action._

"_She's too stubborn," Said Sera while looking at the same thing as Garreth, he only nodded in agreement, his eyes never missing a thing of what happened around him. "And he's so clueless that it wouldn't be a surprise to know that he is oblivious to how babies are made."_

_The time flew by quickly to him as always, and when he noticed it was time to wake up, only the strange man, Sera and Baron were left in the dark place. Sera and Baron stood up and started to walk to the darkness, giving only a curt nod to Garreth before being sucked down by the dark floor with Baron close behind._

"_They seem to like you." The strange man said while walking close to the silver haired man, Garreth quickly standing up firm and giving the man a low bow in respect. The strange man chuckled lightly before asking for the bow to stop and smiling fondly of the man's antics. "How many times do you need to be told that it's completely unnecessary for you to bow before me?"_

"_You can ask me many times but I'll still do it, Asa-san, to you and Natsu-san." The strange man; now known as Asa, laughed heartedly and patted the man's shoulder a few times before stepping aside and walking to the darkness, merging with it but saying shortly to Garreth before merging completely._

"_Good luck." Garreth nodded at Asa's disappearing figure and last words, and started to concentrate to wake up himself. _

Now completely woken up, Garreth got down from the hammock and walked to the closest window, looking at his surroundings before stepping out. It was a clear day in Magnolia; the people could be heard from where he was and seemed to be already doing their daily routines as always. He moved to the forest nearby and walked through it until he got to the city's main road, making it look like he just arrive into town.

Walking down the road that leaded to the guild, he started to think in something to fool Fairy Tail's guild members, avoiding the people that got in his way and the alarmed looks that he received by being a foreigner that they never saw and wear an armor. 'Seems like the other are doing their job well.'

"He's a foreigner…"

"Like the ones attacking the guilds?"

"Yeah, maybe he's here to attack Fairy Tail!"

"Ha! He's going to get a big surprise!"

"Yeah! Gildartz will pulverize him!"

"Gajeel will hang him on top of the tower with his metal spear!"

"And Natsu!"

"Natsu came back! Natsu will smoke him!"

"Hahaha!"

A chorus of laughs was heard and the people stopped staring at him alarmed and continued with their daily business, much to his surprise. Pulverize him? Hang him? Smoke him? The last one sounded weird but he didn't dwell too much on the reason behind why Natsu would smoke him or how could he perform such a feat, he just walked calmly to the guild, reaching its gate before thirty minutes passed.

'Here goes nothing.' He thought before opening the front door and looking inside the guild. Everything was quiet at his entrance, all the members staring at him oddly before standing up in fighting position; remembering the fact that there were foreigners attacking guilds all over Fiore. The first to talk to him was a blue haired girl that was standing close to the door.

"Who are you! ? And what are you doing in our guild! ?" The question was soon repeated by her companions, a man with a top hat and another one with a strange looking haircut that resembled a sprout. He tilted his head to the side, like wondering why they were all looking at him like an enemy; even if they had spare reasons to do so, and cough in his fist before talking.

"I am deeply sorry, I should have knocked before entering," He said politely, his monotone forgotten in favor of gaining the trust of his soon to be 'comrades'. "My name is Garreth Silverclaw, a magician from the guild that lies destroyed behind yours."

"You mean Phantom Lord?" This didn't help him in getting them relax but instead he got them more ready than before, that until Gajeel stepped into scene, earning a few mixed looks when the other man put a hand on his shoulder with a grin so big that didn't seem to fit in his face.

"Garreth! You returned!" He said almost cheerily, the mixed looks now turning to questioning ones and the girl from before was first to ask what everyone was thinking.

"Do you know him?" Gajeel only nodded before inviting the man to sit in his table, all eyes following the pair and their movements.

"Of course I know him; he was our strongest member, even more than me and the Elemental Four!" Everyone thought for a second about what that implied. Stronger than Gajeel, meant something like Natsu, since he defeated him during that incident it was obvious that the stipulation was right. Damn, even Gajeel was admitting that the man was stronger than him! But… that much stronger and he didn't participate in the war?

"Then where were you all this time and during the war against your guild?" Asked the blue haired girl that he heard was Levy.

"I was doing a one hundred year mission for Master Jose in Liperya Island." Garret lied perfectly, seeing the shock and surprised expressions of the members. Gajeel raised an eyebrow at the statement and what implied but kept playing along.

"That's right; he's as strong as the geezer or close to him!" This made everyone freak out and wonder why the man was there then, was it revenge? But what he said next stop that line of thinking completely.

"How can I join this guild?" If there was someone who didn't have a heart attack, he was surely a lucky one. Mira; being faster to recover from the shock, asked calmly while checking the older members pulse…

"W-why do you ask?"

_(2 hours later…)_

"So… where's your mark?" Asked Gajeel after the master ended up talking with Garret inside his office for almost an entire hour. The rest of the two hours, were spent talking with the other members of the guild, waiting for Gildartz whom was inside his office with Lahar and some Rune Knights.

"On my back." He stripped the upper side of his armor to show his mark and then Gajeel saw with the rest the big Fairy Tail stamp that rested in Garret's back. It was grey colored, surrounded by a black circle with tips going in different directions that resembled a solar eclipse.

"Looks good…" The dragon slayer said to him before abruptly ending the conversation and turning around to leave the guy alone in the table. Garret looked at the man quizzically before shrugging, his head trying to see over his shoulder to take a closer look of the tattoo that lied inside his older tribal tattoo.

'Infiltrating the guild, complete, gain the trust of my fellows…' He looked around, how everyone was talking about his inclusion to the guild and how that deserved a party. He let an honest smile slip to his face before joining the members in the brawl that was quick to erupt when someone threw a glass to someone else's head. 'In progress.'

**To be continued.**

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, you were waiting for the reunion or the battle or whatever. I'm very sorry but troubles came up while I was doing the chapter and was forced to look for help. That help came from ***-*******. That's right. I'm not going to tell you until the chapter comes up and I put the name of the person along with mine saying that shehe help with the chapter.**

**Muahahahaha!**

**As you can see, this was a bonus chapter. Created for the sole purpose of entertaining you guys until the next chapter is up. Your opinions about will be greatly appreciated.! ^^  
><strong>

**Now I'm leaving so I hope you guys liked it. Because I certainly did.**

**Saludos.**


	7. Blend the Future Part 5

**Knowing it from the beginning.**

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story._

_This chapter was made with the help of NxE-Forever.)_

**Chapter 5****: Blend the future Part 5 – I missed you, I'll kill you.**

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingmont's southern border, near the forest.)<em>

'_You know what will happen when you meet again with her…'_

He ran down the streets, the sound of fighting on the forest in front of him getting louder by each step he took. He exited the city without looking back at the fight his friends were having behind, fully knowing that the odds were against them but also knowing that their enemy was not one to take lives for nothing.

'…_The moment your eyes cross, your resolve will weaken…'_

He moved low branches out of his path, his hands and legs were moving automatically and his breathing was hard, the sounds of explosions and dust rising everywhere was not a good sign. He quickened his pace.

'…_The wall that you built in order to keep it a secret…'_

Another explosion was heard, something made a path of destruction in its wake and he realized the fight was running away from him. He clenched his teeth in frustration and stopped where he was. He looked at the ground while the voice still echoed inside his head. He needed to get there faster or he would just waste energy for nothing.

'…_Will crumble to pieces, leaving your heart…'_

He concentrated his fire to his feet, these rapidly engulfing in flames. He now needed to know his destination; he raised his head to look at where the fight stopped.

'…_Wide open to be care and love…'_

Another explosion, movement to his right, then stop; there it was, eight hundred meters to the north-east from where he was standing. He lost no time in using his magic to propel himself to the fray that his friend and… his other friend; who-was-not-supposed-to-be-know-as-his-friend, were battling.

'…_And stab in the back and abandoned when you least expect it…'_

He soured through branches and leafs until he met with the sky and the smoke from where the last explosion came. He used his arms to give direction to his wild propulsion. A look of determination setting over his face, a feeling that was distant coming back to him and giving him chills down his spine with every meter he grew closer.

'…_Beware Natsu, because love is a double edge sword. It can make us strong like a god and weak like a fly at the same time…'_

"I don't care!" He screamed to the wind, his determination turning to anger when the last part of the speech came to his mind. "All I want is to save her now! I'll bother with the consequences later!"

'…_Live the present with your heart; keep both eyes cautiously in the future and your brain in the past as to not repeat the same mistakes from yesterday, my friend…'_

He was inside the dust cloud now, he needed to use his strengthened senses to scan the area and find his friend before the battle move to somewhere else again.

'…_Natsu, I know your future but the path to it can only be made by you and only you. All you need is to remember what I previously said and have the courage to make the things you haven't dare to do before… That's all I can say, as to not distort the future more than what it already is. Until next time we meet again, good __luck… '_

He started by smelling; no good, the cloud covered most of the scents.

His eyes couldn't discern much in the dense dust that the clashing between mages cause.

His hearing was the last he could use, so he concentrated in the sounds near him.

There was someone panting to his left and someone walking slowly to the middle of the battlefield to the right. That was good to start, but it didn't help when you are in a situation like this one you could go to the obvious choice and surprise yourself with being wrong.

He sighed.

Why did they need to make it difficult to him?

He landed hard on the ground, making his presence be known to both fighters and made a little magic release to disperse the dust around him. Now it was clearer for him and he could distinguish the scents and discern the figures around him. He felt the urge to punch something, scream and laugh at the same time; since the situation was the contrary to what he imagined, to his left was Asis trying to stand up, bruises and cuts everywhere on her body while Erza stood immobile to his right, her Heaven's Wheel armor on and ready to shot five swords at her enemy; but Natsu remembered the sound of her moving to the center. What made her stop? Was it him? Was she wondering if he was an illusion made by the enemy to make a run for it? Or maybe… the sight before her was too much to bear? After all, the look on her face told him something like that, and it was the fact that they haven't seen each other after five years, two months, one week, three days, ten hours and thirty-seven minutes that made him realize that.

But… hey, who's counting?

He turned in her direction and relaxed his muscles, all of his worries being washed away when his eyes meet with her in the middle of the still clearing dust. He smiled nostalgically before raising one hand to wave it at her; two simple words that he said where enough to make her understand that he was not an illusion or a dream.

"I'm back…" He said it, it sounded cliché but he couldn't think of a better word for the moment. Erza stood her ground, trembling. Her hands clenched as she gritted her teeth after equipping into her normal armor.

"Erza, I..." Natsu was interrupted when her fist kissed Natsu's cheeks, a movement that he hadn't thought about when he imagined how their reunion would occur. Needless to say, he was sent flying backwards 20 yards away, surprising Asis; who took the chance to move away from the place, and leaving him almost unconsious if it weren't be because of his high resistance. Natsu was about to shout at Erza when she jumped on top of him, tears falling down her cheeks from both of her eyes. He kept his mouth shut, he knew what she was about to say.

"5 years, Natsu! 5, bloody, years and not a single letter?" Erza shouted. Natsu blinked, confused by Erza's reaction and words. Wasn't she about to question him about the incident in the guild? Wasn't she going to question him about his possible implication with the foreigner's attacks on Fiore? Did she really care about it or was just letting it slide to question him later? Natsu didn't understand a thing so he did the only thing that came to his mind. Stay quiet and listen.

"I was worried, Natsu…What if something had happened to you?" Erza asked, softly. Natsu smiled and relaxed, stretching his hands out and pulling Erza's head to his chest while he got his torso up from the ground. "What if you suffered the same as Gildartz with that black dragon?"

"I'm… sorry… I really am…" Natsu muttered, embracing her. Erza closed her eyes; forgetting her worries for a moment and allowing herself to relax in Natsu's embrace. It felt good to have him back with her, after so long, after that day when they spent an afternoon together under a tree just the two of them with the silence of the forest.

Asis took the chance to leave the place completely, even if her curiosity wanted to see more of the soft side of her leader, the need to heal her wounds called stronger. She could annoy the hell out of him later. "Oh! I almost forgot!"

She couldn't leave just like that, so she prepared a little surprise for the both of them. She kneeled down and put her hands on the grass, her magic seal appearing momentarily before disappearing. This got her tired so she inhaled some air, used a close tree to help her stand up and started to get away from the place.

Meanwhile, the other two, were still hugging each other calmly in the middle of the boulder that Erza did earlier while fighting against Asis. Natsu opened his eyes after a few minutes passed, his body feeling warmer than usual with his scarlet haired friend close to him. He blushed slightly at the position they held together and took a peek at her face, it seemed like she had calmed down her crying. Something that made him feel guilty but happy at the same time, he supposed they were tears of joy for seeing him again and not of sadness for his stupidity at not writing a single letter.

"Do you like me, Erza?" Natsu asked while grabbing her from the shoulders and moving her away so he could see her reaction at the question, and she could see that he was seriously asking her that. And she wasn't expecting that question… so soon.

"Huh! ? Why do you say that?" Erza raised an eyebrow, with a small blush that passed through the wall that kept her emotions in check creeping over her cheeks. Natsu swapped their positions effortlessly, allowing him to straddle her waist much to her surprise. Hands at both sides of her head, letting her know that he wasn't going to let her go unless she answered the question.

"Because you cried… Lucy did not even cry when I first saw her after this five years." Natsu said as if that answered all the questions and doubts. She suddenly felt like a spotlight was pointed solely at her, waiting for her lines in a theater play. Natsu was about to scream victory when she suddenly came up with an answer.

"Of course not and when did you become smart?" Erza countered, clearly confuse by the pink haired's new insight of things. She should have kept her emotions in check next time, if she was going to keep her feelings secret from him.

"Ever since I saw the world for myself, Erza, I have matured. I am not the same Natsu anymore." Natsu smirked; clearly proud of the achievement he did during the five years he was out. But… that maturity of which he talked about wasn't really complete to say the least.

"You've become matured then, so much that you dare to straddle my waist?" Erza asked with a small smile and a raise eyebrow. Natsu; who was oblivious to that, realized their position and blushed, hastily getting up and moving away from her a few feet with his back turned to her. She felt like laughing for his still innocent mind and how she managed to avoid the previous question, but shrugged the thought off when she heard what she wanted to hear from him.

"I-I'm sorry." Natsu turned around again and held down a hand to help her get up, his head looking away from her with a small blush still in place. Erza's smile widened as she pulled herself up using the help of his hand, dusting off her skirt after he release her hand. "I'm sorry for the letter thing too, sorry for everything…"

She was about to dismiss his apologies and ask him about his travels when she felt two strong arms embracing her, a familiar warm heating her body while a soft voice whispered words that almost made her cry again.

"Hey, Erza… I'm back… I really am." Natsu tighten his grip on Erza's body with a sad yet happy smile and closed eyes. She imagine the look on his face and how hers was doing the same, the feeling being too strong again, she let her eyes cry for the second time that day, meanwhile, her arms move to return the hug with the same feeling.

"Welcome back, Idiot." She muttered softly through his scarf, today was a good day.

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingmont, somewhere in the city.)<em>

This wasn't a good day at all in Gray's opinion. Natsu was hiding something from the guild, he went to meet Erza; whom he was sure was about to kill the poor bastard, and a dragon slayer of the same element as Laxus was fighting against him and Lucy. Certainly, how could that be a good day? The Rune Knights could appear now and help them fight the foreigners, and he would still think that the day was a complete and total shit. Another explosion was heard close by, it seemed like the man was searching for them while destroying everything in his path. How Natsu. He looked in the direction where Lucy was lying and saw her still unconscious with Loki taking care of her, the celestial being raising only his eyes to look in Gray's direction when the man called for his attention.

'I'll go and make him follow me away from you two…' He hand-signaled the lion. Loki only nodded with mild approval, a look that Gray understood as 'Take care, don't die.' settling on his face before returning to the care of his beloved Lucy, with Virgo appearing to give him a hand in the ice-maker's place.

'Here goes nothing.' Gray thought while standing up and running in the opposite direction of his friends, his hands doing the usual Ice make movement and turning the whole street in ice for him to move faster by skiing. It seemed that the use of magic alerted the man, if the explosions coming through the roofs were something to take into account. The form of his enemy soon came into view; a grin so big that Gray could sworn that it was going to crack his face in half, showing how happy he was for finding his prey.

"There you are!" Literio screamed as his body moved fast while jumping through the roofs and breaking everything that his feet touched. Gray frowned but said nothing, preferring to stay quiet and continue to divert his attention from his unconscious friend. "Hey! Stop! Let's talk!"

"…"

"If that's how you want it! Fine!" Literio wasted no time and speed up, easily beating Gray's speed and jumping down from the roof to interrupt the other's movement. Gray stopped skiing and waited for the other to make a movement, fully knowing that his enemy was not one to take on lightly. "You know, I bet that your partner isn't going to come out of my attack with just some scratches…"

"No, I didn't know, why don't you tell me more of what you know, since we're at it…" Gray asked persuasively, trying to gain some info of his enemy, the urge of beating the crap out of him for what he did to the blonde kept in check. He just heard a laugh, the man started to walk in his direction with a raise fist which didn't take long to be engulf in lightings. Gray crossed his arms in front of him, expecting a frontal attack but instead he was met with another laugh. He looked at the man with a raise eyebrow, to what the other let an amused smile slip on his face.

"Come on, man, why don't we forget about this and you join us?" He asked amused but sincerely, showing that he didn't want to fight against him if possible. Gray snorted, a confident smile creeping on his face while his hands prepare to do his magic.

"Sorry, can't do, I'm loyal to my friends…" Gray was about to freeze the man's feet when the reply to his answer came.

"But are your friends loyal to you, Gray Fullbuster?" Literio had such a serious look on his face, that Gray understood the man knew something that he didn't, making him stop completely to think about it… and lower his guard. Which the blonde haired man didn't lose the opportunity left to him to be taken, he ran to Gray quickly and when he was close he prepared to kick him fully on the chin with one of his dragon-slayer techniques. "Lightning Dragon's Reversed Thunder!"

Gray was sent flying to one of the closer rooftops, falling hardly on the top with his back without chance to turn in midair and fall on his feet and hands because of the numbing sensation that the man's attacks left on him, and left Lucy and Taurus out of combat in record time. "Y-you bastard…"

"Yeah, yeah… Blame the honest one for your own faults…" Literio said while jumping to the rooftop where Gray was, walking calmly to the man's side and sitting beside him while looking how the other struggled to raise up. "You know, you remind me of a close friend of mine… He never surrendered a fight, even if the odds were against him and always tried to give his best in combat… Even if that got him closer to dead…"

"Y-yeah? Sounds like someone from my guild, we're all like that…" Gray said while giving his everything to stand up and stay firmly on his feet, the man not bothering to rise from his sitting position, instead just turning to look in the direction of the lake.

"That's good! It means that I'll have something to entertain myself… After I finish you and your friend, that its!" Gray gathered strength and tried to give the man a piece of his mind with a punch but he met only air. He looked at his sides to see where he could have gone to, but a voice from behind make him froze still. "You know that it's not good to attack someone who is talking, right?"

"Sorry, I always had a problem in staying still while the enemy talked…" Gray now tried to give the man a backward kick but it was stopped with just one hand, the man making a disappointed sound while saying 'no' with the finger of his other hand.

"You're in no condition of continuing my friend, why don't you take the chance to talk and recover? I'll give you all the time you need!" Gray felt insulted at the man's strangely happy proposal; he was toying with him and that didn't settled well with him so he took the chance to release his leg, take a step back and prepare to use his magic on him.

"Ice make! Lance!" Gray extended his arms forward; creating long, curved ice lances that he shoot toward the man, with the intention of impale him. Literio frown at the move, hoping for the other to take on his offer, but he should have expected this to happen. He raise an arm to stop the attack but then, his eyes widened, it was too much strong for him to stop it like the others. A cloud of debris and dust rose from the attack's effect on the area and Gray took the opportunity to jump to another roof, making some distance from his enemy.

"Hahaha!" He heard the laugh coming from within the cloud that was clearing, he saw the man with his sleeves shattered and some cut on his arms. It seemed like he was able to stop the attack but not without getting some wounds in the process, Gray smirked, not for anything he was an S-class mage. Literio laugh a little more before turning completely serious and shooting a death glare at the ice mage. "You were saving your strength to fight my partner, right?"

"You could say that, yes, you never know…" Literio growled at the answer, his body engulfing with lightings again, a look of hatred settling on his face while he clenched his teeth and curl his hands into fists.

"Don't take me lightly, Ice-boy!" He screamed before jumping at Gray with both fists raised, the black haired only took a defensive position and waited for the attack. Literio started to spin in the air, extending his legs down and his arms to the sides, lightings growing in quantity and power. "Lightning Dragon's Thunderstorm!"

"Ice make! Shield!" Gray created a large shield made of ice in front of him, whose shape vaguely resembled that of a flower, and tried to use it to cover himself from the coming attack. When both magics collide, another explosion occurred and both fighters shoot out from the cloud of debris with heavy damages. The shield shattered at the contact with the attack but it also reflected half of the attack back on the enemy before being completely destroyed. In other words, both took damage, both shoot out from the clash zone flying. Gray spin in the air and fall in a kneeling position, seeing that he only got some cuts in his upper torso and some bruises in his arms, he concentrated on checking the condition of his opponent. Another laugh was heard. 'That is getting annoying…'

"Wow! I cannot believe you repel it!" Literio said while walking through the cloud of dust with his clothes tattered, a look that said that he wanted more, showed Gray that the fight wasn't going to end soon. "If you could do that, then you must be what in this country call an 'S-class mage'! Am I right?"

"Yeah…" Said Gray dryly, not lowering his guard for a second in an attempt to prevent something like before to happen again, Literio just grinned and got into a fighting position. Gray stood up from his kneeling position and copied him, his hand ready to make more ice if needed.

"Good… Then you are worthy, my name is Literio Éclair and you know my magic…" He said seriously, his fist engulfing with lightings again while the roof in which he was standing cracked down for the magical pressure he was releasing.

"Gray Fullbuster, you know that already, as well as my magic…" Gray smirked while gathering his magic, the floor freezing under him while he got ready to cast another set of ice lances. Literio nodded at the statement and started to walk in Gray's direction before switching to run at full speed, his opponent doing the exact same; only that this time, Gray took the initiative. "Ice Make! Lance!"

"Lightning Dragon's Roar!" Literio countered with the Dragon-Slayer's signature attack, generating lightning in his mouth and releasing it in a concentrated, destructive blast, which in contact with Gray's attack provoked a massive explosion.

**To be continued.**

* * *

><p><strong>Here it is. No comments this time around. I'll just wait for your opinions. ^^<strong>

**Thanks for your help **_NxE-Forever_**.! I hope to return the favor to you when you need some help.! =D****  
><strong>

**Now I'm leaving to get some deserve sleep, so I hope you guys liked it. Because I certainly did.**

**Saludos.**


	8. Blend the Future Part 6

**Knowing it from the beginning.**

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

**Chapter 6: Blend the Future 6 ****– Freeze the thunder, cut the wind.**

* * *

><p><em>(<em>_Near Brammingmont's lake.)_

**Ice vs. Lightning! The battle of the elements! Will Gray be able to defeat someone with Laxus' magic**** or…! ?**

"Good… Then you are worthy, my name is Literio Éclair and you know my magic…" He said seriously, his fist engulfing with lightings again while the roof in which he was standing cracked down for the magical pressure he was releasing.

"Gray Fullbuster, you know that already, as well as my magic…" Gray smirked while gathering his magic and getting ready to cast another set of ice lances. Literio nodded at the statement and started to walk in Gray's direction before switching to run at full speed, his opponent doing the exact same; only that this time, Gray took the initiative. "Ice Make! Lance!"

"Lightning Dragon's Roar!" Literio countered with the Dragon-Slayer's signature attack, generating lightning in his mouth and releasing it in a concentrated, destructive blast, which in contact with Gray's attack provoked a massive explosion.

The building in which they were standing crumbled down from the clashing, both mages exchanging blows on their way down, none of the two losing timing or strength in their blows; consciously and desperately trying to disable their opponent before the other did so. Gray received a kick on the gut, but getting over it quickly he took the chance to grab Literio's leg and throw him hardly to the ground below; falling on his feet, he prepared for the counter that was about to come. The blonde man came running through the cloud of debris with a loud cry and his two fist raise, hitting the ground with them before reaching the ice mage and sending him flying with the sheer force of the attack.

Gray went flying against the wall of the closer home, hitting hard on it and ending up on top of a table that couldn't support the force of the fall and broke before he could even realize he fell on it. Literio came jumping through the whole that he made with the other man's body and instead of finding Gray on the ground, he found him readying another attack. "Ice make! Hammer!"

The blonde didn't have time or space to avoid the attack, so he took the huge hammer full force; receiving the same or twice the damage that Gray received when he sent him flying against the wall of the house, but the ice mage's attack was enough to send the Dragon-Slayer crashing full force through two houses; stopping on an alley and leaving the wall that almost suffered the same fate as the others with a large boulder. "D-damn… him…"

Standing up shakily, Literio tried to see through the holes that his path left and catch a glimpse of the mage moving quickly towards him with his arms covered in ice that looked like blades that were jutting back from both of his forearms, making him smirk wildly at the proposition that his enemy was making him. "You want it to be a close combat? Perfect!"

Engulfing in lightings his arms; from his forearms to his fists, Literio jumped through the last hole he made and meet with the ice mage in sword combat; Gray looked momentarily surprised at the moved of his enemy but quickly concentrated on the new exchange of strikes, avoiding slices that he was sure could have make him lose a part of his body and doing some of his own. Until he started to feel it, the disadvantage of fighting ice against lightning, his arms were starting to feel numb and move slower; which the enemy didn't lose opportunity to take advantage of. He parried the last strike of the ice mage and spin over his own foot to later give a powerful kick on the ice mage's chest, sending him hard against a wall.

"My my, aren't we getting a little slow?" Literio said while closing the distance between them, Gray rising from the ground with support of the wall; one of his ice blades broken and the other close to the same. "Are you going to surrender now? You are a good guy and mage, I wouldn't like to take your life for a mere little insult when you help with… uh, sorry, I almost spilled out something important…"

"G-go on, I won't mind…" Gray said while making another ice blade and fixing the almost broken one, the blonde chuckled lightly before raising both arms that were still covered with lightning shaped blades and shook his head.

"When will you learn?" He shook his head again, he didn't have time to be wasting here when the real challenge was fighting his partner but he needed to make sure that no one interfered with… "Ugh!"

"You lower your guard…" Gray said behind Literio, his arms crossed in an X fashion in front of him and his head down; he stood right and turned to see how his opponent's blades dispel and he turned around with some trouble while holding his chest with one hand. Two large cuts adding to the collection that he had.

"Cheater…" He said in between grunts of pain, a frown on his face and his eyes glaring daggers at the ice maker; Gray shrugged, not really caring for his words and took a step forward, he had a chance to make him talk now that he was in pain.

"Tell me, what are your intentions in Fiore?" Literio laughed while coughing out some blood and saliva.

"It's none of your busi… ugh!" Gray kick him square on the gut and sent him hitting against the wall in which he was supporting himself a few moments ago.

"Tell me or next time I won't be so nice…" Another laugh and a defiant look, Literio refused to say anything about the reason that brought him and the others there so Gray raise up his arms, his ice blades showing that they were still sharp enough to do serious damage. "You ask for it…"

"Yeah, don't worry; I'm sorry about this…" Gray was about what he meant with that when a magic seal appeared down his feet, he looked up back at Literio and saw him concentrating on said circle, looking at his opponent when this one tried to move away. "Good bye, Fullbuster…"

"Shit!" A Lightning erupted from the ground and an explosion followed, a trail of smoke flying out of the place and stopping near the beach of the city could be seen from the place. Gray fell hard on the ground; spinning down the way of sand until he stopped the movement with one hand digging hard on the soft surface. He looked up and as he expected, the blonde haired was walking calmly towards him, he looked to be with enough condition and magic to give the S-class a challenge that could cost him his life; even after all the damage that the mage previously did to him.

"You survived…" He said disappointed, a hint of pain in his voice barely noticeable. "That last one almost kills you, why don't you take my offer now and save your life?"

"Shut up!" The black haired screamed while standing up by sheer strength of will and panting hard. He had enough magic to battle the guy ten times but the side effect of his attacks left his body in a terrible condition, he could barely feel his fingers or his arms and the rest of his body was in terrible pain that didn't allow him to move as fast as he wanted. "Asshole! At least tell me what you meant to say when you told me about my friends' loyalties! ?"

"Just what I said, do you truly believe that they're loyal to you as you're with them?" Literio said before crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow at the mage in front of him. "It isn't hard to understand… Just make yourself this question, are they loyal to me as I'm with them?"

"I will never question my friends' loyalty toward me or anyone in the guild! We're like a family and family trust to each other with their lives!" Gray put his hands together, concentrating on the next magic while Literio just shook his head in a pitiful way.

"You have the brain of a five year old…"

"You're one to talk, lighting rod…" Gray said smirking; Literio felt a vein popping up on his forehead before clenching his teeth in annoyance. "Laughing all the time during combat and trying to talk your way out of the fight, such a lousy Dragon-slayer…"

"I'm just giving you a chance to save your sorry ass, ice stripper!" Screamed the blonde haired after feeling how more veins popped up on his forehead and looking at Gray with irritated eyes. Gray smirked again and then he held his arms up in surrender, an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry, tsk, you could have told me that you were in that time of the month before starting the fight…" Gray looked at his side with a smirk in place and looking how the dragon slayer was losing his patience, he gave a few steps back and got close to the lake, his feet feeling how the water filtered through his shoes more with each step he took back.

"I'm a man, dammit!" Literio said annoyed, raising a menacing fist at the ice mage.

"Oh! Really? I thought that you were a girl… You know, bitching around like that all the time, can send mixed impressions…" That was it. He was seriously looking to die. Literio felt something snapped inside his head and he couldn't contain the urge to kill the man in front of him anymore; he ran to the black haired with his body filled with killing intent and his entire body engulfed in lightings.

"Shut the hell up!" His magic seal appearing in front of him and creating a giant fist made from thunder which moved forward, the full intention of giving Gray a lesson clear on the magnitude of the attack. "Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist!"

Gray frown at the move, having heard about it when Natsu and Gajeel confronted Laxus on top of the cathedral back home during the Fantasia of five years ago, he knew that the attack was one to be feared… but he had a card under his sleeve to counter it. He did the classic pose of his ice make magic and later extended his arms to the sides, palms open to the front and stopping the giant fist from going further stood a mighty wall of ice that covered a good part of the way that lead towards the lake. "Ice make, rampart!"

"What the…!" Literio couldn't believe his eyes, looking at the dimensions of the wall that stopped his attack, it was huge and all but he didn't dwell too much into it, he needed to see if the wall really stopped his attack; the cloud of sand that rose up from the clashing of magics didn't allow him to see the other mage or his state but when it cleared, he looked at the figure of Gray smirking through the untouched ice before turning around to dive into the lake and disappearing from view. The blonde frown at the move, knowing full well the reason behind the other mage's diving in the water; he had an advantage when there was water close for him to turn into ice and was less consuming that making ice appear from thin air. "Clever move, Fullbuster, but you forget that I also have an advantage with water!"

Literio broke through the tick wall of ice and stepped into the water of the lake, unknowingly entering a deadly trap; he put his hands close to each other and started to produce lightings inside the short space that his hands left; these ones forming a dangerous ball of lighting with every second the dragon-slayer concentrated more magic into it. He laughed madly and raised both arms over his head before bellowing victoriously. "Come out Fullbuster! Otherwise, you will be fried with the fishes!"

"I'm here dumbass…" His eyes widened in shock, he heard the voice coming from behind him; how was that possible? Turning his head around he saw Gray smirking with his arms crossed in front of him, he was about to ask how did he do that when another voice sounded from the front; looking back he saw another Gray coming out of the water and starting to meltdown and turned from ice to water before Literio, whose eyes couldn't be more open in shock. "You should check your surroundings before advancing towards an enemy that disappeared from your line of vision…"

"Hahaha! You got me there but you're forgetting something…" He looked up to the ball of lightings that was formed in between his hands and looked back at the ice mage with pity. "You're still on the water! And lightning doesn't affect me as it will do to you!"

"Yeah, good luck with that…" Literio was going to ask him what he meant when suddenly; a pillar of ice shot out from under him and froze him completely. Gray sighed before coming close to touch the ice in which the dragon slayer was sealed and frown at how he could still see him move his eyes around with hatred at him. "Ice make, Ice wall… I was looking to end this with you being able to talk but you're too annoying…"

Giving several steps back, Gray concentrated on the water of the lake and later on the pillar in which Literio was encased and was starting to crackdown by the Dragon-slayer's magic. He called out for his ice make and before Literio could notice it, he was imprisoned in a giant glacier that covered most of the lake and the beach which looked almost impossible to break; there was no way that he could escape from that without losing most of his magic power in the process, since he needed at least half of it to fight with the ice mage and later go for the blonde woman. "Ice make… *pant* Glacier…"

Gray gave two shakily steps back before falling down on the sand, the sudden use of a large quantity of his magic twice playing heavily on his already battle battered body. He looked up, panting hard and feeling how his mind was starting to black out; he tried his best to stay in consciousness but it was futile, his body wanted some rest before doing anything else. He cursed loudly before feeling his eyes shut down, he forgot that the blonde man still hadn't answered his question. "Shit… I… bet… it had something to do with that flame brain…"

Losing consciousness, Gray was lucky in not seeing how the glacier that he created with almost all his magic shattered by a mighty thunder; Literio standing in the same position panting and standing weakly on his feet, most of his energy spent in trying to break out of the icy and eternal prison. He gave a few shaky steps towards the unconscious man on the sand and fell when he reached the border of the ice, his body not responding to his orders of moving ahead to finish off the now defenseless mage of Fairy Tail.

"Shit… I can't move… *pant* my body is tired and froze to the bones…" He moved his head to look at the one responsible for his state and let a dry laugh scape his lips before losing consciousness himself. "Nice one, ice-boy…"

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingmont's forest.)<em>

"So… how long are we going to be hugging each other tenderly?" Natsu asked out of the blue, his cheeks turning a light shade of his hair color when he noticed that a good time had already passed by. He felt Erza moving her arm back and before he could even see what she was doing, he received a hard punch on the gut, the woman going back to hug him after he understood the message of not ruining the moment. "I… I could have get it with words, you know?"

"Natsu… I… You… Do you like me, Natsu?" She asked doubtful to him, brushing aside the question he made, with the urge to bring back the subject that he started in every cell of her body.

"I don't like you, Erza…" He said honestly to her and quickly, which made her eyes widened and separate from him like he was something hazardous to her. She couldn't believe it, then why the hug? The blush and why did he ask her the same question first at all then? She turned around and started to walk straight to the forest, leaving Natsu standing where he was and not getting anything about what happened; 'He is still such an idiot!' She thought furiously, trying to stop the urge to cry because of his answer at the same time.

But just when she was about to reach the end of the boulder, she felt him hugging her from behind, stopping her walk without much effort from his part and lying his head on top of hers; making her realize that he was a little more taller than five years ago. She struggled from his grasp a few times before letting him do what he wanted and give him the chance to say what he was trying to before she left completely. "Talk fast or you'll regret ever meeting me."

"I don't regret it, not much, if that makes you feel better…" He said jokingly, though his joke fell on deaf ears as he saw Erza still not looking at him and frowning at his words. He laughed nervously before stopping and hugging her stronger to avoid she run away. "Look, Erza, I don't like you… I lov…!"

And just then, Asis' little trap took action, the whole area around and inside the boulder engulfing in light coming from the ground before exploding everything that it contained within its inside. Sending both of them flying towards the forest and hitting against a tree… well, just Natsu hit it, Erza's impact was cushioned by his body, leaving him half conscious; much to her dismay, he hadn't finish to say the last sentence, so she was now trying to wake him up to make him say it. "Damn it, Natsu! Spat out of it!"

Though, he wasn't even close to coming back to reality but the exact opposite, since Erza's way of waking him up wasn't exactly a gentle one; she slapped his cheeks restlessly in her attempt, leaving them red and looking like blow-fishes. An just when she was about to shake his body strongly she felt it, the presence of someone watching from on top of the tree that they just hit; raising her head she saw Asis sitting on a branch with an amused face and holding back a laugh with a hand. "Oh! Sorry! Did I interrupt something important?"

The armored mage didn't reply, she just stood up and clenched her fists while her hair covered her eyes; a deathly aura starting to surround her before the now scare Asis. She was going to say something along the lines of 'Sorry, bye-bye.', when the Titania changed to her Purgatory armor, now she was truly frightened. 'Save me Literio!'

And it started again, before the woman knew it, she was hit by the S-class mage on the gut and sent hitting against the ground; making another boulder appear and sending the trees flying by the power of her opponent. Erza just walked calmly towards her, her eyes unreadable and her grip on the big double-edge sword hard. Asis tried to reason in vain with her, telling her that she was willing to let herself be capture and even tell the motives that moved the foreigners towards Fiore, but she got no response; instead, she was ordered to stand up and face her punishment. "Oh please! It isn't a big deal!"

"Yes! It is!" Standing or not, she was sent flying away again when the red head gave an earth shattering strike to the ground; now she was crying waterfalls. She hit the ground a hundred feet away with her face touching the ground first and skidding a few meters before stopping ungracefully, the place where her head was releasing smoke like she was a small fire left unguarded. Hearing her torturer coming slowly again, she turned around and raise her hands up in defeat while imploring the other to stop. "You should have surrendered when Natsu appeared, now, you'll face the consequences."

Asis was about to say something else but she freaked out, thrashed a little and later passed out from the fear; much to Erza's chagrin and surprise. She was expecting to make her pay with the powerful armor a little more before she could even be allowed to do something like that but, well, she was the Titania. She received the same result with most of her weak opponents. So she changed back to her original armor and called a rope in her hand with her ex-quip magic, using it to tie the woman to a tree so she couldn't escape anymore and went back to where Natsu still lied unconscious, kneeling at his side and watching how he was now sleeping soundly. She let out a small smile take over her features before taking his head and laying it softly on her lap, caressing his now spikier hair and watching him sleep like a little kid.

"You are still a kid in your heart, even if you matured as much as you have shown me." She said lovingly while she remembered what Lucy told her years ago, when just a week passed from his departure.

"_He'll return Erza, don't worry, and I'm sure that when he does… He'll tell you what he told Gray personally…"_

Even if he was sleeping and she was dying for that to happen, she gathered her strength and concentrated on waiting for him to wake up; patience rewards those that listen to her, right? So she looked at the sky, at the trees, at the tied up and passed out Asis and later back at Natsu… a few minutes passed and a frown appeared on her face. She stood up harshly; dropping the sleeping Natsu's head and screaming loud enough for everyone close to hear. "How long will you make me wait! ?"

Natsu woke with a shocked and fearful expression, his hands going to cover his ears from the loud scream that woke him up from his slumber; he trembled in fear on the spot in which he fell and waited a few seconds before shakily turning his around to look at the reason of his sudden wake up. A voice so weak and low coming from him that it made the Titania realize her mistake and look at him in shock. "Y-yes E-erza?"

"Natsu!" She exclaimed half embarrassed and half happy, a distressed look settling over while she kneeled down at his side again with a hand rubbing his arm in an attempt of calming him in less than a second. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you! Oh god, you must hate me! Hit me please!"

Natsu looked at her plainly for a minute, Erza trembled in fear for what he could be probably thinking of her at the moment and before she could even say another apology; he started to laugh hardly on the ground, holding his stomach and rolling over his back. She looked at him in shock for 1… 2… 3… and later kick him hard on the side, sending him crashing and destroying a tree.

"Stupid Natsu…" She mumbled annoyed to herself before going to check if the Dragon-slayer was alright… or even alive.

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><p><em>(In Asis and Literio's unconscious minds.)<em>

"_So you two were defeated? It seems like we need to change plans a little then." Asa said before stepping through the two sitting wizards, Asis looking down in shame for the way of her defeat while Literio had an unnerving small smile over his face. "Natsu is left in there and he cannot fight against his friends, so during the short time that he was unconscious, I talk to him about it and he agreed to bring reinforcements to help you."_

_Both listeners raised their heads in surprised, shocked expressions in their faces at the implication of what Asa said, and before any of the two could even say a word; Asa turned around with a frown on his usually straight face, talking with a hint of worry in his voice when he named those that were going to help._

"_Fran will go with Hyde and Pierre to support you." With that said he merged with the darkness around him and left the two alone with their thoughts, the feeling that they screw it for Natsu and his friends clearly on their faces. Remembering the battle that he had, the blonde curled his hands into fists for a second, his anger leaving as quickly as it came._

"_He was a pain in the ass but… I really liked fighting with that ice-stripper…" Literio said with a hint of sadness before shrugging and lying down on his back. Asis though, had something different going through her mind and it wasn't how much she wished to fight again with the woman that scared the shit out of her… but something entirely different._

"_Natsu-chan… Say it before it's too late…" Literio threw a questioning glance at her before asking._

"_What do you mean with that?"_

"_You wouldn't understand… Idiot…" Literio got back up and eyed her warily before talking again._

"_Test me…" Asis sighed tiredly before crossing her arms and looking at him seriously._

"_Okay… Where should I start…?"_

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><p><em>A few minutes later…<em>

"_Holy shit… He's fucked up then, 'cause Pierre might be quiet but if they even ask him who our leader is…" Literio frown at the thought that came to his mind after the explanation that his partner gave him, Asis nodded in agreement, even if she wanted to scream in joy for Literio getting the message._

"_Yep! He'll say it, not caring if Natsu-chan's cover is blow up, so we need to go back and recover before they arrive!" She said merrily, much to Literio's shock._

"_Oi! Oi! You plan on stopping them! ? That's crazy! Not even I was able to even lay a hand on Pierre! Or Fran for that matter!" Asis smiled knowingly, making it obvious for his partner that she had a plan. "I'm getting a bad feeling about this…"_

"_Don't worry! We'll make it!"_

**To be continued.**

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><p><strong>Here it is. The sixth and I bring it to you with some good and bad news.<strong>

**Good news: I read the last Fairy Tail chapter of the manga. If you saw the text in bold letters after the title then you are realizing that I'm starting to do those narrative things that the mangakas do at the beginning of their stories. I'm improving at writing romance with humor! And that's it.**

**Bad news: I read the last Fairy Tail chapter of the manga and its end made some tears drop from my eyes, I cannot believe that Hiro could be capable of doing that to Makarov. So until that situation changes, which I don't thing that it'll happen, the fic is put on Hiatus. Yes, on hiatus.**

**Enjoy this last chapter, it was good to receive your reviews.**

**Saludos.**

**PS: Just kidding, I won't do something like that, though the chapter really cut short my imagination, so... probably the fic is going to be updated slower now. Thanks for understanding. Hehehe!  
><strong>


	9. Blend the Future Finale

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**I do own the OCs that appear through the story, Nova Scarlet, Kaki Dragneel and the idea for the fic.**

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><p><strong>Knowing it from the beginning.<strong>

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>**: Blend the Future Finale – The end of the beginning.**

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><p><strong>Danger close! Three more foreigners come to the town to eradicate our mages!<strong>** Who are those talking in the darkness?**

"You'll go to the year X790, to find Natsu and stop the plan that if my calculations are right, is already in motion… If you succeed, we may be able to change the way in which things occurred and have a better outcome… Good luck, both of you…" Explained calmly a deep and low voice to two figures standing in the middle of an intricate magic seal, the thing glowing after both figures nodded and swallowing them in a vortex of light before the taller figure that bid them farewell turned around to leave the place; another voice sounding in the shadows when he was about to grab a door-knob to exit the room.

"Aren't you tired after using such magic?" The tall figure turned its head towards the direction of the voice, grunting at it before shaking lightly in where he stood. "Seems like you are…"

"But that doesn't mean that I need your help… Especially your help…" The voice snorted, footsteps giving away the fact that it was moving around.

"Aw, don't be so mean, besides," The footsteps came to a stop, the last step coming from behind the other individual. "That would be my line, don't you think?"

"I don't, but I do think that if you don't move away, something bad is going to happen…" The footsteps were heard again, this time backing away until the sound of its voice seemed to come from its original position.

"What if they fail or die? How will you explain this to the others?" The taller man just snickered before turning the knob and opening the door, the light that came from outside showed the tall figure with a confident smile on his face with a stubble around his mouth and along his jawline.

"Please, this is our best wizard of which we're talking about; she will not fail…" Stepping outside the dark room, his last words made the other voice snicker in response. "Besides, he went with her, together, I know they will make it…"

"If you say so, _Master_…" The voice said mockingly when the door was closed.

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><p><em>(Magnolia Town; Fairy Tail guild.)<em>

"Why should we go?" Asked a calm voice to the white haired woman that was standing behind the bar of the guild, she just smiled nervously with no possible answer to the person with whom she was talking. "Mirajane."

"Master said that Lahar with the rune knights is going to that town to arrest Natsu, he told us to keep it quiet from him but he didn't say anything about not doing something to prevent it." The person at the other side of the crystal ball grunted before talking again.

"You want us to go against the council? Why don't you go then?" Mira scowled at the words, her voice sounding more serious with every word.

"Because I am two days away from that town; and you are just a few kilometers away, please Freed, just this once." The man thought about it for a minute before nodding, earning a smile from the woman. "Thanks guys!"

"Don't worry Mira; we will make sure that Natsu gets out of there safe." Freed said reassuringly to her before cutting the transmission. Though, the words weren't enough to prevent the previously known demon from frowning in worry; only one thing running through her mind before walking to attend the orders of the mages that were on the guild.

"I hope Natsu tell us what's happening…"

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><p><em>(Brammingmont; Town's market.)<em>

"You two have been strangely quiet since you came back with that woman, is everything alright?" Lucy asked dubiously to the two mages sitting away from each other, both of them keeping quiet in reply and turning to look in opposite directions of each other; the blond sweatdopped at their reaction before shrugging the business for later and walking to tend to the ice mage's wounds with Virgo on toe. "Whatever; don't tell me…"

"Natsu! Fuck dammit! Untie me! We need to talk!" Screamed Literio while glaring daggers at the Salamander. Natsu just scowled at him before faking a surprised expression.

"Uh? How do you know my name?" Literio's right eye twitched at those words, before screaming again in anger.

"You piece of…! Why did you call for Pierre and Hyde! ?" All of the present turned to look at the enemy Dragon-slayer in surprise before turning their faces to Natsu, who just continued to play dumb.

"Pier and Haid? Who are those?" Literio growled in annoyance before Asis took her turn to convince the pink-haired boy.

"Natsu! Stop pretending that you don't know us, this is serious!" Natsu clenched his teeth at their actions before returning to his dumb playing, Asis sighed before turning to face the other mages with seriousness; understanding that the fire dragon-slayer wasn't going to listen to reason. "He's our leader and we were tasked with… ugh!"

If Natsu pretended to keep his façade a little longer, this wasn't exactly the best way to do it; he punched Asis on the stomach and successfully knocked her out much to everyone's surprised. Literio growled at him again before restraining some of his anger to talk seriously with his leader. "Natsu, that's enough, you know that they suspect of you; why try to keep it hidden longer than it should?"

"Shut up!" Natsu bellowed threatening at him, fierce eyes warning the blonde that he was losing his patience. "I swear that if you say just one more word…!"

"What? You're going to kill me? Go on, that will only prove that their suspicions were right…" The pink-haired was quickly engulfed in flames, much to everyone's shock, Literio swallowed hardly before matching his glare with Natsu's. "Do it dammit! Later tell Asa and the others that you screwed up our chances of victory for a stupid reason!"

"You… I always knew that you were going to be just trouble! I'll grant your wish!" But then, when the Salamander's fist was going to hit the man square on the head, he heard her, her voice stopping him completely, extinguishing his flames and anger; making the man realize that he talked too much with the annoying dragon-slayer.

"So, what Master said was right, you were contacting with someone through Dream Control." Erza said while walking to stand behind Natsu, him not wanting to turn around to face her or his friends, he heard Gray moving to stand up from his position on the floor and walking weakly towards him; his eyes hidden from view until he was standing at Natsu's side.

"Natsu, what's going on?" He moved a hand to rest it on the fire mage's shoulder, making him look over his shoulder at him. Gray's eyes gave away the betrayed feeling that all of the wizards from Fairy Tail in there were sharing, though it quickly changed when the ice mage saw his old-friend with a troubled expression, like debating a matter of life or death.

"Gray… Lucy… Erza… I…" He looked ahead again, clenching his fist tightly before shrugging the ice mage's hand from his shoulder and walking a few steps away; kneeling down to untie Asis and Literio before standing up again and turning to face the people he held dearest in the entire world. "I…"

Natsu stopped, he and the others looked up in shock, a huge pressure was felt over the place, the clouds started to move around a single spot that was at the other side of the city and the wind picked up its pace; then it stopped, something came crashing down from the sky through the single spot that the clouds were surrounding, leaving a white tail in its way until it hit the ground with such force that the earth shook and the buildings that had been hit during the past battle or those with old foundations collapsed.

*Crash!*

"What was that! ?" Lucy said in shock, watching a cloud of smoke rising from where the thing crashed, Gray looked in the same direction before turning back to Natsu and Literio; both guys looking at the smoke with a frown on their faces, a growl coming from the blonde while the pink-haired narrowed his eyes.

"Another dragon-slayer, it must be them…" Literio said before kneeling down to shake Asis awake. Natsu just gave two steps forward in that direction and later muttered something under his breath, a whirlwind of fire engulfing and swallowing him before the surprised eyes of his friends.

"Natsu!" Erza, Gray and Lucy screamed, looking how their friend disappeared inside the whirlwind, only to meet with air and Literio's bored expression; he grunted at them before wrapping Asis's arm over his shoulder. Wrapping his arm across her back, he began dragging the unconscious mage out of the battle zone and towards a safe place.

"I'll meet with you in a minute, meanwhile, stop that idiot…" He said seriously, his and Asis' body turning to a lightning that moved fast towards the forest. Gray was going to freeze him to the ground but he was still recovering his magic from the previous fight and he felt that he was about to need every little bit of it, he scowled in annoyance and turned to look at the women; both of them too shocked to even react at the escape of the two foreigners or even notice him calling their attention.

"Shit! Erza, Lucy! We need to follow Natsu and stop him, now!" He screamed to both of them before starting to run in the direction of the smoke, Lucy following behind after spatting out of her shock and Erza just moving in auto-pilot, her mind going through all that happened since the pink-haired returned and frowning at the possible answer to all that; what Asis said before being knocked out helping to came to such a conclusion.

Natsu is the one behind all the things that were happening in Fiore concerning the outsiders.

And meanwhile, with the aforementioned wizard, the whirlwind appeared in front of the crash site, his eyes narrowed, his senses in high alert and ready for anything; knowing the ones that were going to come to finish the job, he knew that they wouldn't hesitate to attack him all-out to keep playing his façade in the already discovered plan. Though, when the smoke was cleared and the site became visible, his eyes widened in shock… he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Erza?"

Of course, the woman looked like the Titania of Fairy Tail that he recently left behind with the rest of his friends, but something felt different about her, her appearance, her presence and her aura… her smell too. Long scarlet hair tied down behind her and brown narrowed eyes. Wearing an armor that seemed to be made by Heart Kreuz with the mark of the guild over the same position at the left side of the chest, but the armor had noticeable differences in contrast with Erza's; this one covered her arms completely and most of her neck; unlike that one which the woman he knows usually wears, she wore a black skirt, and steel boots that seemed to go along with the armor.

Though, what call most of his attention was the scarf that was detailed with white scales that she was wearing around her neck, looking down to see his own, he gasped in surprise; it was the exact same.

He was beyond shock at noticing how similar they were and how something inside him told him that he already knew this girl, but he shook his head, spatting out of the initial shock and turning to look at the guy beside her. The boy looked like an inversed version of himself. A black longer waistcoat with blue trimmings over his chest with a white t-shirt underneath, short blue trousers that went down to his knees and a wide blue wristband on his right wrist and sandals.

Natsu felt his eyes reaching the limits, the boy was wearing a scarf that looked exactly like the one the girl and him had around their necks. 'What the hell is going on! ?'

"Hahaha! Told you he would mistake you with her!" The boy standing at the side of 'Erza' said while laughing hard, the woman only clenched his teeth in annoyance and with her eyes closed she hit the guy hard on the head; making him crash head-first strongly against the ground.

"Shut up!" The girl then opened her eyes again and fixed her stare at the shocked dragon-slayer, walking calmly towards him until she was in front of him; Natsu only looked at her with shocked eyes and his mouth slightly opened, not fully believing what he was seeing. She frowned at his reaction before shaking her head disapprovingly and changing her expression to a happy one. "I'm…"

"Natsu!" And it was then that the others arrived, stopping dry on their feet at seen what was in front of his friend. Gray opening his eyes in shock at seen the woman in front of Natsu along with Erza and Lucy, the second not fully believing what her eyes saw, that woman in front of the pink-haired wizard looked exactly like her.

"Good, seems like everyone's here with you." The woman said after looking at the others and nodding, turning to look at Natsu again before speaking with a smile on her face. "I'm Nova Scarlet and the guy over there is Kaki Dragneel, we've come to help you… Father…"

"Scarlet…?" Erza asked shocked before the confused shouts of her partners overwhelmed every sound nearby.

"Father…! ?"

Natsu's eyes were on the verge of coming out of their sockets… he gave two shaky steps behind, looked at the woman in front of him and later turning to look at the original Erza a few meters away behind him. Nova Scarlet? Kaki Dragneel? Help him? Father! ?

"I… You… I need to…" He was about to fell to his knees when the woman called Nova moved fast and pulled him by his scarf, embracing him with a happy smile and tears falling from her eyes while hugging the shocked man tightly around her arms. The boy called Kaki stood up from his spot on the ground and walked calmly to the congregation, his arms crossed and a cheeky smile on his face at witnessing the reunion.

"I'm glad that you're still alive…"

"!"

**To be continued**

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><p><strong>No comments.<strong>

**Please, be so kind of reviewing and let me know your opinions. ^^**

**Saludos.  
><strong>


	10. Past, Present, Future

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**I do own the OCs that appear through the story, Nova Scarlet, Kaki Dragneel, Mary Fullbuster, Garret Justine, Relio Connell and the idea for the fic.**

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><p><strong>Knowing it from the beginning.<strong>

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: 'The past gloats, the present staggers, the future cries' – Asa's Foretelling.<strong>

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><p><em>(In Natsu's unconscious mind.)<em>

**The arrival of the children struck hard on Natsu and the others, but what did Nova meant with "I'm glad that you're alive."?**

"How is this possible? You never told me that something like this was going to happen!" Natsu screamed frantically to the strange man that was known by him as Asa 'The Farseer' while he took hurried steps heading here and there, expecting an answer. The dark purple haired man only looked at the ground with serious narrowed eyes, not a single answer coming to ease the fire dragon-slayer that was his leader or ease his own anxiety. "Answer me Asa!"

"I have no answers for this, Natsu, this turn of events shocked me as much as they shocked you." The man said before walking around in circles, his mind going through all that has transpire since the arrival of Natsu to Magnolia, everything went as he foresaw it but this… this was certainly something that he didn't expected to happen. "Makarov retired and gave the position of Master to Gildartz Clive, most of your friends are now S-class wizards, the Council believes that you're the cause behind our attacks and thus sent a group of rune knights out to Brammingmont to capture you and the others, the Raijin Tribe is heading there to support you without fully knowing what's going on and Pierre, Fran and Hyde are going to support Asis and Literio… I don't understand what happened, what triggered the time and space to make this happen is a mystery even to me…"

"Then think of something! Or use your magic and tell me if something from the future has change!" Natsu got close to the man and stopped him from walking when he stretched out a hand to grab him from the shoulder, shaking him violently as to make a point. Asa frown at the move but nodded, understanding that the poor man was just startled as him but wasn't able to face the situation as he did.

"Release me…" Doing what the man asked, Natsu released him and back away a few feet. The man closed his eyes and sat on the floor on a meditative position, a white magic seal appearing under his body and enclosing him in a prison of light before the unsurprised eyes of the pink haired wizard. Several scenes started to appear in Asa's mind but as he always did, he focused only on those regarding the plan and his close friends; he stopped the running of scenes…

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><p>The time he advanced into the future was that of one month.<p>

_'Natsu! You idiot! Why are you so stubborn? Why don't you let us help you! ?' He saw from above how Natsu and his collaborators argued with the Fairy Tail guild members, both sides glaring at each other fiercely while the pink haired leader stood his ground before the Master of the guild, Gildartz Clive._

_'I don't want Fairy Tail and my friends to get involved in something that is concern of us, Dragon-Slayers, stop making this difficult old man; I won't allow any of you to help us!' Natsu screamed to the shocked faces of those he considered family, a hand engulfed in blue flames going to burn the spot on his shoulder in which his guild mark was, erasing it before heading out of the building with his people on toe that wore equally shocked expressions than that of the Fairies. 'There! You have no reason to help us now!'_

The scene changed to another one, this was from a year and a half from the previous one; everything looked different.

_'I'll do this myself; I want Nova to have her mother at her side…' He heard and saw Natsu say this while standing at the top of a mountain of rubble, black flames surrounding every building around him; his head looking over his shoulder to give a caring smile to a figure that he couldn't see quite well._

_'Then I'll go with you; I want to make sure that our daughter has her father with her too…' The figure said as it stood up and walked at Natsu's side, the man staring lovingly at the figure at his side before both nodded and jumped down the mountain of rubble, running towards the city burning with black flames._

The scene changed again; three years into the future.

_'Everything is lost; they've taken down Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale… We're the only ones left and without Gildartz or most of our S-class friends… We don't stand a chance…' An old looking man with dark blue slicked back hair said while hiding his face from view, a few tears escaping his covered face and his legs surrendered to the grim situation that was looming over him and the people standing before him. Everyone was quiet, no one talked, everyone silently agreed to his words._

_'Macao… what should we do with Nova and the other kids?' A woman with long bright lavender hair said, in her arms resting a small girl with red scarlet hair and behind her legs standing three kids, a black haired girl, a green haired boy and a white haired boy. The man looked at her for a moment, switching his stare in between her and the kids until he came up with an idea._

_'Take them into hiding, you, Jet, Reedus and the other mages that want to avoid the next assault… Romeo…' The named boy gave a firm step forward, nodding to say that he already knew what his father wanted. 'You'll lead them, take them to safety; I'm counting with you my son…'_

The scene changed yet again, to show the last thing that Asa needed to see to understand what was about to happen; eighteen years into the future.

_'It has been seventeen years since the death of your father and mother, Nova, and nothing has changed… Not even with the constant efforts of you and Kaki, the Black Legion continues to control everything, our city; Carsilon… our last bastion of hope is sure to be exterminate from the face of the earth in a few months to come and now that everything looks grim… I have come up with a way to change our luck…' A middle aged looking man; with straight long dark hair, said to the red headed knight and the new fire dragon-slayer that were walking alongside him through a dark corridor._

_He stopped before a heavy looking door that had a sign hanging on top that read 'Supplies' in it and turned to face the two wizards that came with him. 'Time travel is a forbidden spell that was stolen from Zeref centuries ago and that the old Council had in its archives, thanks to Mary, Garret and Relio we've been able to recover it…'_

_'You mean to makes us use that spell and travel to stop what happened?' Nova said more than asked as she crossed her arms and looked at the old man with doubtful eyes, her worries being voice out quickly. 'What if something goes wrong?'_

_'Yeah, what if we fail to avoid brother's death?' Kaki asked along his partner's question to the man, earning an affirmative nodded from him._

_'Your questions will be answer, right now…' He motioned for the two young mages to follow him inside the room, opening the door with just raising a hand and nearing it to the lock. A quick flash of white light came from in between the both things and the door opened, the old man walked quickly inside and held the doorknob with a hand until he saw that both mages entered the dark room, closing the door behind him, he put a hand behind both back and pushed them inside. 'I have faith that you two won't fail, that you'll find your way out of any troubles that you might find and that you'll be able to stop what's about to happen… Now, step right there and wait.'_

_Before any of the two could ask why, a huge magic seal appeared under their feet, making them look in surprise at the old man standing outside of it. Nova was the first to try and ask what was happening but she was cut short with just a hand raised by the man. 'Master Romeo…'_

_'You'll go to the year X790, to find Natsu and stop the plan that if my calculations are right, is already in motion… If you succeed, we may be able to change the way in which things occurred and have a better outcome… Good luck, both of you…' The man explained calmly with a deep and low voice to the two wizards standing in the middle of the intricate magic seal, the thing glowing after both figures nodded doubtfully and swallowing them in a vortex of light before the taller figure that bid them farewell turned around to leave the place._

The spell was supposed to end right there and then, but the scene changed again, showing Asa a dark room with a lone person standing in front of him; the person looked up at him and started to cackle darkly, surprising the man with how he was able to see him when it was certain that no one could during the casting of the spell.

_'What do we have here? Kekeke…' The lone person that appeared as a pure white nearly formless being asked him amusedly, walking around Asa with his hands behind him. 'Someone trying to see what's going to happen when he shouldn't… Please, be so kind of not spoiling my great future…'_

_'Your great future? Who are you?' The foreteller asked, constantly turning as to not leave his back exposed to the formless white being. The thing only cackled again, stopping on his tracks and raising a hand midway with a finger moving in a 'no' motion._

_'I'm the one asking questions here, my nosy friend, who are you and why are you trying to see into the future?' There was no way for Asa to answer that question, he wasn't going to sell out his motives without knowing who this person was and what he wanted… though, the white being shook his head in mock amusement before pointing a finger at him and shooting something red at him._

_Asa looked down in shock, he wasn't even able to dodge it and the thing hit him square in the chest, making the touched area glow before his mouth started to move on its own much to his surprise. 'I'm called Asa "The Farseer" Dilya, and I wanted to know why, when and where would Natsu die in the future.'_

_The white figure cackled again before stepping close to Asa and shrugging his glare with a tilted head. 'Thanks for letting me know, it seems that my plan needs to be hurry up a little… One more thing though, where's that brat called Natsu and the rest of the Dragon-Slayers?'_

_'They're in Fiore.' The thing nodded in acknowledgment and started to walk away, raising a hand in sign of good bye before disappearing from sight..._

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><p>The scene stopped and Asa opened his eyes, finding himself back on the dark surroundings that the dream control spell offered to him and his friends, the stare that Natsu had over him making him turn his gaze at the man with tired eyes before falling back first against the dark floor.<p>

"Asa!" The pink haired screamed as he neared the man and dropped on his knees at his left side, he saw the man doing the spell several times before but it never happened something like this after doing it; something went wrong, Asa was sweating uncontrollably, his breathing was labored and his eyes dilated. "Asa, stay with me! Tell me, what happened! ? What did you saw! ?"

"Natsu… you… this is… him…" And he fell unconscious, unable to tell the man what he saw or at least warned him about what happened. He was at a loss of words; his friend did what he always did and ended up like this. He punched the dark floor in anger and impotence, what could he do? What should he do?

"Natsu-san? What's wrong?" Called a soft weak voice behind him, looking over his shoulder, he found a frail looking guy, long light blue hair tied down in a ponytail that rested over his left shoulder, black onyx eyes; dressed with a long black robe over a white Mao shirt and trousers of the same color that reached to his ankles before closing tightly over them.

"Hyde! Good… I mean, what are you doing here? What happened to Pierre and Fran?" The man only shook his head in disapproval before coming to kneel at Asa's right side.

"We sensed the magic pressure over the city when we were entering and since we didn't know what was going on, Fran teleported to see the situation, he told us what he saw and that you were lying unconscious in the arms of a red head with armor clothing… is that woman the one you call Erza Scarlet?' Natsu shook his head before realizing that while he was here, the others were expecting him to wake up. "Before you go, can you explain why Asa is like this?"

"I don't know! I wanted to know why that boy and girl were in Brammingmont and I asked him to see into the future if anything changed… When he was done, he looked at me tiredly before ending up like you're seeing him…" Hyde nodded, looking at the motionless man with some concern and running a hand over his forehead to check his state. After a minute, he turned to Natsu with another nod.

"He'll make it, but just as a precaution, I'll stay here to take care of him until he wakes up… Natsu-san, please go back, maybe you can get some answers from those kids, Pierre and Fran won't move into town until I wake up." Natsu nodded doubtfully, his eyes landing worriedly at the man on the ground before standing up and walking away to the darkness.

"Do your best…"

Hyde sighed at the comment before turning his head to check Asa's body, raising his hands over the guy's torso and reciting something under his breath, but then, Asa's eyes opened and he started to shake uncontrollably, much to the man shock and surprise. "Asa-san! Calm down!"

He calmed down indeed, but his eyes were white and his body became stiff while muttering something in a low whisper. Hyde, being cautiously curious, got his head near the man's mouth and listened to what he was saying.

"The past gloats because it cannot be change; the present staggers because is always changing… and the future cries… because so much change confuses him and he doesn't know what to do…" After saying that like ten times, he fell back unconscious. Hyde retired his head from its position close to the man's head and returned to his healing magic, a troubled expression over his features… what did he meant by that? Was it even Asa the one that was talking?

"Such sinister words… You saw something terrible, right Asa?"

**To be continued**

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><p><strong>Well, some explanation to things I left hanging in the air... And a new twist to the story... Or is it that the plot deepens?<strong>

**That's for you to figure it out.**

**Review if you like the chapter, otherwise, the white thing will come and haunt you in your dreams!**

**Saludos!**


	11. The Fate of the World

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**I do own the OCs that appear through the story, Nova Scarlet, Kaki Dragneel and the idea for the fic.**

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><p><strong>Knowing it from the beginning.<strong>

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: 'A year and half from today, the fate of the world will be decided…' – Nova's words.<strong>

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><p>'You must be joking…' Thought our now awake fire dragon-slayer as he stared unbelievably at the ropes tightly encircling his upper body and legs, and preventing him from getting away from the place; I know, Natsu being tied down after waking up is making itself common in my stories, don't you agree? Moving his head around, he saw his partners, his teammates and the two kids separated from each other in a triangle fashion around him, gazing from time to time at the others while hushed conversations took place. Natsu rolled his eyes at the funny situation before calling their attention to him, moving a little on his spot to make them notice that it was him. "Huh… I'm awake, everyone, can someone untie me?"<p>

A simple yet deadly glare from the seven people around him was enough to shut him up and hardly swallow some saliva in fear. "Just asking…"

"You should stay like that until the Council comes to arrest you for all that I care." Erza said calmly, making emphasis on the fact that she was okay with leaving her teammate being arrested; facing the ones that supposedly were his co-conspirators, she narrowed her eyes and with her arms crossed said. "As for you two, if the guards want to take you, we'll not oppose them."

"What? That sounded as if we would need of your help!" Literio said threateningly with a fist clenching at his side, the red-head frown but her view softened somewhat when Asis grabbed the blonde's clenched hand with both of her open hands. "And what if we don't want to be arrested? We're doing this to save all your sorry asses!"

"Literio, calm down, there's nothing we can do…" He was about to mention the fact that there were still their friends at the outskirts of the town, but Nova talked first, objecting to her words with a calm knowing voice.

"On the contrary, there's a lot more for you to do if you surrender yourself to the guards." Literio looked at her from the corner of his eyes, wondering what he could do in prison than he couldn't do free, if he surrendered and let himself be imprisoned that is.

"Oh yeah? I'm all ears then kiddo." Nova raised her head to look at the clear blue sky and put a hand to support her chin, thinking about it. It didn't take too much thinking to realize that maybe telling the truth might set them free and get them support from everyone, she just wanted to add some drama to the whole situation; even if there was enough of it already.

"You can explain why are you doing this and ask for the Council to help you." Natsu let out a dry sarcastic laugh at the option given by his supposed 'daughter', she tilted her head to look at him in question, a slight narrow of her eyes telling him that she didn't like that reaction.

"Please! Turn ourselves in? Do you even know what we did so far? What we're planning to do?" The tied down man asked while facing the girl with a scowl on his face, his voice rising a bit with each passing word that came out his mouth. "If the Council gets us, helping us will be the last of their choices! They'll execute us or jailed us for life!"

"Well then, that's why we're here brother!" The boy next to Nova exclaimed, giving a step forward with a confident smile and a thumb pointed at his chest. "If they don't believe you, then all we have to do is tell them about what will happen if they do not listen to your warnings!"

"Tch! don't make me laugh again, _brother_, who says that they are going to believe you two? For all they know, you are part of this too!"

"Have a little faith father, and stop antagonizing us; we're on your side." Nova said rather troubled after hearing his father's words, Natsu just rolled his eyes at them and shut his mouth, closing his eyes to make them notice that he didn't have anything else to say.

"Brother…" Kaki whispered under his breath, gazing sadly at the girl next to him that was curling her hands into fist in impotence; though, taking notice of this, Gray moved from his spot and went next to the pink-haired, frowning at him before giving him a hard kick on the ribs.

"Ow! W-what was that for! ?" He received another kick as an answer.

"I can't believe it man, you're planning to betray us and when a chance comes to get yourself out of this, you push it away!" He gave him another kick before kneeling to look at the man closely, the words coming out with sadness and anger. "Tell us what the fuck is going on flame-brain or I'll make sure that your plan stops right here!"

"…" Natsu remained quiet, shrugging the pain he felt away and continuing to stare the stoned floor with indifference in his eyes. Gray was going to kick him again when he felt a hand on his shoulder that made him turn to see who it was.

"Erza… No, Nova was it?" She nodded and asked him to move back with a light tilting of her head, he looked at her troubled for a second before giving Natsu the kick he deserved and going back to where he previously stood, watching with interested at the girl. She kneeled at Natsu's side and started to whisper things to him that seemed to catch his attention. "What is she planning to do?"

"Perhaps talk some sense into him? She said she came from the future, so maybe she knows something that can make him talk…" Lucy said in thinking, turning to see the red-head at her side, seeing the stoic expression she had while watching the change of words between their stubborn friend and the girl.

"Tsk, I hope you're right, god knows that we want to help him but not blindly…" The ice-mage said ending the conversation, preferring to keep a close watch over the foreigners standing across them; crossing his eyes with Literio at some point, the blonde glaring daggers that he fought with his own glare. 'Stop glaring at me dammit!'

'When you stop glaring at me Fullbuster!'

'Uh! ? What the hell! ?' Both widened their eyes in surprise before moving quickly their heads to a side, preferring to ignore each other than to have something like that ever happening again.

Now, I know that keeping you out of Natsu's and Nova's conversation is slightly killing you, so what if we check a little on them now? It was mostly a one-sided talk, since she was telling him everything that was going to happen if he continued to disregard her and his friends help in this matter that for Natsu now seemed to be authentically a life or death matter of not just Fiore but the entire world. "Are you listening Father?"

Natsu shook his head to clear his head of useless thoughts and stared back at the red-head, a slight frown on his face. "Sorry, I was zoning out, and stop calling me like that!"

She arched an eyebrow at his last words. "Like what?"

"Don't play stupid with me little girl, stop addressing me as Father! For what I know you're not my daughter!" She looked hurt for a second, changing her expression to a stoic one before nodding.

"Okay, _Natsu,_ did you at least get the message of what I told?" He gave her a short nod; she sighed and asked for him to move over his belly, untying him under the surprised expressions of most of the people around them, Kaki just nodding and smirking victoriously at the action; both stood up from the ground and exchanged looks before turning to their own groups, Natsu coming close to his friends and asking for the foreigners to get near before he said anything while she whispered some things to the boy that came with her.

Once everyone was around Natsu, or at least close to hear him, he cough on his fist and started to explain his actions to everyone.

"During my travel through the eastern country I found out about a guy that, according to what people said, knew everything and was able to see into the future; I met with him after travelling to the remote village in which he lived and asked him about Igneel and the other dragons but instead he told me and showed me something more important."

"The reason behind why all of them left the 7-7-x777 and what is our job while they're gone…" Literio added without looking at the people close to him, preferring to lean back against a wall with his arms crossed and a serious expression. Natsu looked at him from the corner of his eye and nodded to his words before continuing.

"He explained to me that someone called 'the dark one' will come to destroy everything and that only the combine strength of the dragon-slayers can defeat him…"

"But that won't be enough, not even with Fairy Tail and the other guilds help." Nova intervened, stepping close to the group of wizards and surprising them with her words. "Because the assault on the Council and the day in which 'the dark one' will appear will be on the same date, all of you will be too weak to oppose him or his followers so the battle will be lost…"

"And when would that be?" Lucy asked, a little frightened at the news she and her friends were receiving so suddenly; Gray nodded at her question, shifting to look at the red-head from the future when she debated with Kaki whether to tell them or not. Kaki just whispered something and Nova nodded before going back to face the group.

"A year and half from today, the fate of the world will be decided and only if we unite forces we'll be able to survive." Eyes widened in shock were the only response to her words, only the sound of rustling clothes and wind blowing freely on the lone streets being heard. Nova shifted on her feet and tried to find some comfortable position in the awkward silence that she created before opening her mouth again to speak. "I know that this doesn't sound to encouraging but, it's what's in store for you if you keep up with your original plan…"

"Yeah, saving that dragon-slayer is going to leave all of you wasted, even you brother…" Kaki added with a nodded, his eyes scanning the different reactions of the people present. Though, what he said was something that made the Fairy Tail mages turn to look at him in question.

"Dragon-slayer? Inside the council's prison?" Lucy managed to voice out, Gray staring wide eyed at the young boy before changing his view to Natsu; who was looking at the future boy with a frown.

"What does he mean Natsu? What other dragon-slayer?" He asked loud enough to gain his attention, Natsu tilted his head to look at him from the corner of his eyes, and giving away the fact that he didn't wanted to let that information out for them.

"Tell them _Natsu,_ who is the one you're trying to free with all this senseless violence." Nova urged a response to Gray's question, the pink-haired man moving his eyes to glare at her before looking down. Debating internally again if he should tell them or not... only that this time, the waiting was not long.

"We're weakening Fiore and it's guilds to attack the Council without much resistance, and free the Star Dragon-Slayer that they have been keeping jailed without knowing of his heritage…" He began, swallowing hard and looking at Erza apologetically before continuing, she just raised an eyebrow at his action. "We were supposed to free…"

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><p><em>Era; prison cells of the Magic Council.<em>

'_I come in the name of Asa to tell you that it has been a change of plans, Jellal Fernandez.' Stated Hyde ceremonially, not meeting eyes with the blue-haired man that was holding him tightly by the collar of his robes. Jellal eyes widened before loosening the hold he had over the man's clothes, staring unbelievably at the man in front of him before being able to form words to question him about it.  
><em>

'_You mean… Natsu stopped this madness?' Hyde shook his head. The blue-haired man didn't lose time to grabbed him strongly by the collar again and raise him from the ground to make a point in his next question. 'Then what's going to happen! ?'_

'_Simple, you'll be freed but in a more common way.'_

'_And why is that?'_

'_I cannot tell you.' Jellal released the hold of one of his hands on the man's collar and clenched it into a fist, quickly giving the frail looking guy a hard punch in the face. Cheekbone and fist making a loud clashing sound in the middle of the lone darkness.  
><em>

'_You WILL tell me!' Hyde just shrugged the previous action and sighed, shaking his head lightly before meeting the guy's eyes for the first time; a dead serious expression overtaking him._

'_I cannot tell you, you'll have to find out by yourself.' Jellal gritted his teeth in rage, a golden aura starting to surround him without him noticing it but shocking Hyde who was able to witness the strange occurrence._

'_You will tell me, or you'll die in your sleep.' He whispered dangerously calm to the man in front of him, raising his fist again, only that these time this one was engulfed with the golden aura. Hyde stared wide eyed at the fist, unable to respond or give a simple movement of acknowledgment, giving Jellal the wrong impression. 'I warned you.'_

_The clenched fist moved faster than the sound and connected a strong hit against Hyde's gut, disintegrating the clothes he had in the area and sending him flying towards the total darkness from which he appeared, falling unconscious in the invisible floor after being 20 meters away from… the star dragon-slayer._

_Jellal panted heavily, trying to catch his breath, his body sweating and shaking uncontrollably before him, his vision blurring as his body fell to the ground and his consciousness seemed to be coming back. He only had one thought before completely falling on the old prison cell in which he was at since 5 years back._

'_What… was that…?'_

**To be continued**

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><p><strong>Sorry for the long waiting, I had a writer's block and nothing seemed to be coming through to at least complete one chapter of this story. xD<strong>

**For getting out of it, I want to give a warm hug and thank you to my friends and fellow NaZa writers, that by talking to me, gave me back my imagination and helped to drive back that damn writer's block. I hope we never see it again... or at least for a long time. XDD**

**Thanks **_NxE-Forever**, **KnightScales15_** and **_shinji01hikari, _**though that doesn't mean that the**_ Project _**will be cancel, oh no, I'll see that it gets finish and publish before the end of the year... XDDD Hahaha!**

**Enjoy this chapter my friends, the next one is just around the corner... XD**

**Saludos!**

**PS: NaZa RULEZ! XDD  
><strong>


	12. Such an Idiot

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**I do own the OCs that appear through the story, Nova Scarlet, Kaki Dragneel and the idea for the fic.**

* * *

><p><strong>Knowing it from the beginning.<strong>

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 10: 'Sorry, I just realize that I'm an idiot…' – Natsu's admission.<strong>

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><p><em>(Era; Magic council's reunion chamber.)<em>

**Natsu reveals his objectives; the Rune Knights are close by the minute and Jellal starting to learn of his heritage! What is the Council doing after coming with assumptions about the troubles in Fiore?**

"Report." Said the stern voice of the Chairman as he and his affiliates gazed at the crystal ball in which Lahar's face was shown; they were growing impatient, two days passed and still no success in capturing the one they thought was behind all what was happening. It could be felt in the air; the room's atmosphere was so heavy that only the Chairman and the Councilmen were inside, any other person was out to allow the most important people of Fiore's magic community talk without being bothered. Lahar fixed his glasses and cough on his fist before clearing his throat to start his report, the antics of his preparation only making the air in the room heavier and some councilmen growl in anxiety.

"We arrived at Magnolia town yesterday and found out that the Dragon-Slayer known as Natsu Dragneel was sent in urgency to an S-class mission with members of his old team, to support a member of said guild whom was stalking two foreigners heading to Brammingmont." Guran raised an eyebrow, nodding shortly to make the man continue. "We are already at the outskirts of the place but, there's something that alerted us and made us stop our advance into the city."

"And that is?" Asked councilman Reteo while tapping his forearm impatiently, he wanted the Head of the 4th Custody Enforcement Unit to cut short the pleasantries and go back to his assigned duty.

"A terrible magic pressure was felt over the city and after it stopped, something that we couldn't see well crashed at the north side of the town, close to where we are." Everyone started muttering about what was said and debate if it was okay to send just one unit to the place, though, Guran's cane hitting the floor shut everyone. The old wizard stared at them with some annoyance before speaking with the officer again.

"The news you give are shocking and troubling but our decision remains the same, enter that city and arrest Dragneel and the foreigners that he and his comrades of Fairy Tail were sent to intercept; also, arrest anyone who tries to help them, that situation might happen again as the time when they stated that Jellal Fernandez was their friend and tried to free him." Looking at everyone in the eye with serious determination, he finished by saying. "This time, we will make them know what happens to those that support traitors or law-breakers."

Nods were sent his way and some even gave a small clapping of hands, but Lahar had a slightly troubled look on his face. "Anyone? Even if they are the mages of Fairy Tail?"

"Yes. He, as a member of Fairy Tail, was the one to say those insolent words when Fernandez was being arrested, so I will not take any chances; if the mages of that guild try to stop his detention, you and your unit will take them into custody too." Lahar stared unbelievably at the Chairman for a few seconds, nodding doubtfully after the words sink in his mind and cutting the transmission to do as told. Councilman Pryer was the one to talk first after several minutes of silence passed, breaking the silence so suddenly that some were startled at hearing his voice.

"Are you sure that it is a good decision, Chairman? In the actual state of things, losing mages of our side is not something rational; we'll be weakening our own chances of winning against the attackers." After noticing than that escape the mind of many, half of the council started to nodded and voice out their agreements with what was said; earning the instant response of the half that was okay with the Chairman's decision.

"For what I remember, the old team of Dragneel was formed by three excellent S-class mages that we cannot have the luxury to retire from active service," Councilmen Sefaly added after the voices died down a little, lifting his fingers in order as he named each and all of the three other mages that were part of Team Natsu. "Gray Fullbuster, Lucy Heartfilia and Erza Scarlet…"

Now more were against the idea of getting them arrested if they happened to help the conspirator, making Guran finally snap at the constant discussion and hit the table with his clenched armored fist that made a clanging sound on impact, stopping any more words from coming out of the mouths of his colleagues. His eyes were red in anger, his expression stern and his fist remained clenched at his side when he withdrew it from over the cracked table. The second one he broke that week.

"My decision is final, if those three try to stop our Knights from arresting that traitor; they'll share the same fate as him and be considered co-conspirators of his cause! This meeting is adjourned!"

Everyone stood silent at the words, not daring to mutter a word while they watched the old man walk furiously out of the room. Councilmen Org was the one to break the silence this time as he and the others stood up from their seats and marched out of the room, his words were less than optimistic. "He's taking us to our end."

"But what can we do? Even if all of us agree to stop that order of zero-tolerance he'll just veto our decision and continue with it." Sefaly stated thoughtfully as he opened the door for the others, Org and Pryer staying behind with him to continue with the unofficial discussion.

"Then we must do something when the members of Fairy Tail stand on trial, there, his chairman faculties will not be of use since we must vote for the punishment." Pryer said to them with some confidence in his plan, only to see the two older councilmen shook their heads.

"That's true, but we must have a majority in the voting, otherwise, our efforts will be for nothing." Sefaly reply while sinking his head in surrender, though Org came up with something quickly to change that possible outcome.

"Let's try to convince our colleagues of voting with us against punishing those wizards, several of them are against of losing such needed manpower when we're on our weakest." The other two thought about it for a moment before giving him a firm nod, Org turned around to leave. "Talk with everyone but avoiding those you saw that agree with Doma-san's decision, also, we need to do it quickly; Lahar might be bringing them any of these days."

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><p><em>(Brammingmont; North side of the town, next to the crash site.)<em>

"You what! ?" Erza shouted in disbelief at the pink-haired, staring at him with wide shocked eyes before coming close to him and grabbing him by the shoulders to shake him. "Tell me you're lying!"

Natsu only looked down, unable to face her at the moment, he couldn't repeat the words that he just said, knowing fully well that it'll not make the Titania any good. Gray and Lucy had troubled expressions of their own but they were able to keep themselves from doing the same as Erza to Natsu since they got the message that it was for something important, but still… it was Jellal of whom they were talking.

"As you heard red-head, we were going to free that guy so he could help us in our mission." Literio answered in his friend's stead, seeing that the man he got to know as confident and fearless went to the opposite in front of the person he had feelings for. Asis remained quiet, not because she wanted payback for what Natsu did to her minutes earlier but because she understood that it was a private matter between the two people.

"Nova… Let's go." Kaki said uncharacteristically serious when he realize of something, putting a hand over the girl's shoulder and dragging her with him against her will with even more need when he saw that the situation was about to get a little worst.

"Gray…" Was all that Lucy said and she received an understanding nod from the man, both of them leaving the scene with the blonde helping Gray walk, the adrenaline of earlier fading and leaving room for the exhaustion of his combat with the dragon-slayer earlier that day.

"Tch, I'm out of here…" Both foreigners took their leave too, not wanting to stay there with that uncomfortable silence any longer than necessary and less if it was avoidable.

At the end… there were two.

"I knew it, the moment I saw you again I knew it; you no longer are the Natsu I got to know years ago…" She started saying sadly, sinking her head and dropping her arms slightly after everyone left; Natsu just continue to stare down, his eyes hidden from view and his body went rigid at the words she was saying. "The one who was so oblivious and childish, who gave everything for a friend and never held a grudge with anybody; the forgiving and caring Natsu I knew and… liked… is no more…"

Each word felt like a dagger stabbing his heart and the small pause she did before saying that she 'liked' him felt like the final blow, his strength was abandoning him and his mind was yelling at him to contradict her words, but, at the same time; a small feeble voice in the back of his mind was telling him… that she was right. He changed a lot, too much maybe, and now he was the opposite of his former self, no longer the oblivious and childish idiot; he adapted and grew mentally to endure the hardships that his travels presented to him. He was now cognitive and mature, if anybody did something terrible to someone he care for, he retailed with full strength and unforgiving wrath… and also… he didn't had a trouble with betraying his friends, if it was for a good cause that is. And now, the only thing that hadn't change was about to do it, the reason that kept him alive during his hardships, during the nights alone outside the country, far away from his friends and home was about to make the final move to give room for the new him.

"Say something." She ordered him, her voice giving the hints of cracking down. "Say something!"

"…" He remained quiet. What was there to say? 'Yeah, I gathered a group of powerful wizards and organized them to attack the council, free Jellal and save the world; oh! Did I forget to tell you that I was going to betray the guild and you at the same time?' And that wasn't the answer she wanted, neither would it be. 'It's not true, I was under a spell but it's all over now.' She might accept that answer, trying to find an excuse to make it seem like nothing happened and was still himself but he wouldn't be able to stand it… he couldn't lie to her and make her suffering worst… so, he remained quiet.

"Natsu…" He heard the sound of a tear hitting the ground. His resolve was weakening. "If you ever felt anything for me… Say something… Please…"

Oh god. She was begging him, how much could he stand it before spilling out his heart and soul? How much? Natsu trembled slightly after thinking about what he was hearing; he was making it worse now! Tell the truth, lie to her, remain quiet, it was all the fucking same! He curled his hands into fists and clenched them, restraining himself from talking or reacting to her words, not realizing that by doing so he was showing her something encouraging.

"If you don't stand lying to your friends, why do you do it?"

He stopped thinking at hearing her words. Why did he lie? He did it to avoid giving troubles to them but then again, he always got them into trouble before, and that never seemed to bother them. So, why did he lie now? The old Natsu would have come back without doubting it for a second and ask for his friends help, knowing that they would accept to join him if he was serious about it. But then, it was the possibility of them declining, sell him out to the council and forget about him… thing that he learn it was possible during his time on the eastern country. 'But this is Fairy Tail of which I'm thinking about!' The same guild that give him a place to stay, work and eat… that gave him friends, adventures, room to improve without worrying about laws or anything of the sort… and someone to love… it was somewhere to call home when he lost his.

_"Do whatever you think is right! That's the way of the Fairy Tail Mages!"_

His eyes widened. He was such an idiot! Fairy Tail didn't care about the council or breaking the rules, they just did what was best for their friends; be it against the council or the same people they tried to protect. Such an idiot. Wait a minute. If he was still an idiot then that meant that he didn't change completely! And now that he thought about it, did he seriously mature? If he had, he would have noticed that, right? If he was oh so cognitive then why didn't he notice that the girl's scarf smelled like him, and that the boy smelled like the magic he said he was able to use?

"Hehehe…" He let out a small chuckle out without knowing, catching the attention of the woman still holding him by the shoulders; she looked up and saw his face, a stupidly big grin and wide happy eyes met with a surprised face. Oh so idiot, he was still Natsu, and that was something that nobody would be ever able to change. "Sorry, I just realize that I'm an idiot…"

She looked at him incredulously, an eyebrow rising in question at his self-affirmation of stupidity. He just chuckled louder and grabbed her by the wrists, his eyes softening at his next words. "I didn't say anything because I was afraid of your reaction, of what the guys would think if I came back to include them into this plan of mine…"

"We… We would have listen to you and tried to help you or to find an easier way to do it…" She replied hoarsely, with her voice still affected by the past crying, what he already thought a few minutes ago; he let an amused laugh out.

"I know that now, that's why I'm saying that I'm an idiot, I thought that you would sell me out to the council or excommunicate me from the guild to save yourself from the trouble but I… remembered the old man's words." She looked blankly at him for a second, trying to remember what could have said the third master during his time on charge. She looked at him with a small scowl at remembering, glaring harshly as he closed his eyes sheepishly. "Yeah, silly me, I forgot about them…"

Her scowl deepened before she closed her eyes and sighed, releasing her hold on his shoulder and joining hands with his when moving them down; smiling at him when he smiled at her action and sharing a brief moment of peace; this was their real reunion. The idiot, gullible, oblivious, innocent, honest, carefree and destroyer of public and private property, the hotheaded and weird haired dragon-slayer, Natsu Dragneel 'Hey!' and the beautiful and strong scarlet haired knight, Erza Scarlet. 'Thank you.'

"But listen Erza, it's all true," He said going back to the subject and the questions she asked him. "I planned to weaken Fiore's guilds to assault the council's prison and free Jellal to fight this dark-one of the prophecy."

"I… see." She managed to answer back after hearing what she most feared, though, it didn't frightened her as much as before now that she had her idiot… friend back. She nodded at his words and released her hands from his, him pouting at the action but getting the message that it was enough. "But how do you know that he's a Dragon-slayer?"

"Asa told me that the last of the dragon-slayers we needed to gather, was someone who I already knew and that I fought with." He simply stated, looking up to remember the words of the farseer and dropping to sit cross-legged on the stone floor, the red-headed following suit. "I started to analyze each and every one of my fights and after some hours, yeah, it took a long time for me to get it; I remembered Jellal and the fact that I never truly got the chance to smell him right…"

"Smell him right?" She asked confused, he nodded.

"Yeah, when I first met him, we were surrounded by Etherion and during the deal with Oracion Seis, the Nirvana forest nulled my senses to a half, so I never got to smell him right; just a bit enough of him to know when he was close…" He finished with arms crossed and a serious expression on his face, looking at the ground as he thought about it and came to the same conclusion. "It must be Jellal, all of the others that I fought with I smelled them and their magics, so I'm ninety percent sure!"

"…" She looked down to think about it, if what he said was true then they needed to free Jellal and check if Natsu's theories were right, or try to get the blue-haired out without wagging war against the council. Though, even if it was one way or the other, it was still the deal that it was freeing Jellal, and she wasn't against the idea to see him again but… "I can't do it."

"Huh? Why not?" He asked sounding like the oblivious boy he was before his travels, hiding the fact that he knew what she meant but expecting her to trust in him and say it without him doing something to make her talk.

"It's because… it's Jellal… I want to see him walk free of that jail in which he is unjustly imprisoned, but…" Natsu frowned, he feared this. That she could still have feelings for the man was something he always dreaded and tried to forget about but it would always come back, for as long as Erza remembered her childhood, he would always be on her mind.

"Don't worry! I'm not jealous!" Erza choked with her own saliva at the statement, recovering fast to punch the guy next to her in the face with full force and hide the blush that was creeping over her cheeks. Natsu got up from the ground and rubbed his sore nose and stared at the woman with a scowl, walking back to sit next to her with an angry pout.

"That's not what I mean to say, but I… I'm not sure of what my reaction will be if I see him again…" She said finally, looking with some doubt at the floor while she hugged her knees close to her chest. Natsu looked at her unexpressive for a moment before sighing and leaning back on the floor to gaze at the sky.

"You still love him, don't you?" He said with no emotion whatsoever, but Erza noticed the slight hint of defeated that his voice had. She shook her head, not saying anything more or turning to give the man she was now in love with a reason to think of the contrary because she didn't had an answer for him.

They solved one trouble to found another one.

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingtmont; north side of the city, close to the crash site.)<em>

"Kaki! Why did you drag me here! ?" Nova was fuming at her partner's action, she wanted to see what was going to happen in between her father and mother but the idiot of her partner had to get her out of the place before anything happened. Kaki just looked at her incredulously, sighing tiredly before coming close to her and putting an arm around her shoulders, whispering his reasons.

"Tell me Nova, would you like it if they saw you and me in an intimate moment?" Nova blushed slightly at the implications of what he said and shook her head furiously as an answer. Kaki grinned. "Thought so, that was what going to happen back there and we were in the middle so… I did what I did…"

"Since when are you so perceptive?" She asked him while trying to shrug off the arm around her shoulders, failing miserably when he strengthened the hold on her with his hand grabbing her arm and pulling her closer to him. Her blush spread to every corner of her face and she tried harder to get away, if possible, his grin widened.

"Since I met you for the first time… _Nova.._." He whispered her name sweetly and close to her ear, making the girl stop in her attempts to tremble at the chill his voice send down her spine. Though, even if she stopped trying to push him away from her, she remained on her spot, not getting closer or the opposite to him; preferring to surrender before the boy pushed it farther and things got out of control.

"O-okay, I got it now, so let go of me!" She was stuttering! Oh, the boy was having so much fun! He moved his face closer to hers and touched her forehead with his, whispering lovingly words to her with sad eyes; her eyes widening in surprise and her face starting to glow brighter than the sun that was above them.

"But I don't want to let you go… I want to be like this _forever_…" She looked like ready to faint while he continued in an even softer voice. "Nova… Stay with me, please?"

"…O-o-o-k-a-y…" He repressed the urge to laugh at her expense, finding her unbelievable cute like this and seriously wanting to do what he just told her. He closed his eyes slowly and relaxed, expecting the girl to do the same while he moved the arm he had over her shoulders and positioned it around her waist, his free arm coming from the other side to hug her completely.

After a minute of feeling her shaking at his bold moves, he felt the movement of her arms rising to encircle around his neck before relaxing and stopping with the nervous trembles she had; he smiled happily.

'Now,' He thought. 'To enjoy this moment…'

* * *

><p><em>(Close to them.)<em>

"They look cute…" Lucy and Asis said at the same time with small blushes on their faces, spying on the young couple from around a corner much to the guys' annoyance and boredom.

'Women…' Gray raised his arms in defeat and marched to check if Erza and Natsu were done while Literio just huffed at the girls' dreamy sighs and jumped to a close rooftop, wanting to check if he could see any sign of his friends close by or something new… but what he found though, was totally unexpected.

Jumping down and running to catch up with the ice-mage, he grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around, cutting short his protests or anything he was about to say at him. "The council is here!"

Gray stood shocked at his words.

**To be continued**

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><p><strong>Another update! I'm on fire! Hahaha! xD<strong>

**No comments this time, just a few lines that I forgot to add in the previous chapter and the replies to the peoples' reviews.**

**First, the replies, thanks my friends for reading the chapter and giving your opinion of it, some doubts of yours might have been cleared if you squinted your eyes until they were slits to notice the small hints. xD And sorry **_My humble friend, _**Nova respects him too much to do such a thing, though there's always Kaki to beat the crap out without problems. XD**

**Don't worry **_My scared friend, _**it happens sometimes that we fail to see some stories when searching for something interesting to read. So you're forgiven and you're not a terrible friend, not much terrible at least... xD And yes, we have a bloody battle ahead of us mate! And yes, you have bipolarity... u_u And that's not true! I received more help from you guys than the other way around! D= Good bye my friend, hope you enjoyed this chapter. ^^**

**Wow! New reviewer! Thanks for the words **_Warnolife_**! It means a lot to know that you liked the story, and that it resulted mind-blowing to you just encouraged me to write this chapter by depriving myself of sleep****... ^^v Good critic, don't worry about not reviewing each chapter, you gave one review and it comprised the whole story in it. And the last comment, I don't know why it resulted confusing to you the arrival of the children from the future, but I hope too, that in the next chapters I manage to clear out any questions you or anybody has. ^^**

**And lastly! **_My someone-told-me-you're-crazy friend_**! =D Thanks for reviewing again NxE, I really appreciate it ****and as a thank you, I hope you liked this chapter. I tried my best when writing the romance parts, remembering how you write them. ^^ Hope it was at the level. =)**

**Second, now that the replies are over, time for random talks. Did you ever wonder how did I come up with this story? Well, that's a pretty simple question to answer, I was excited after reading NxE-Forever's "You're My Girl" and Toaneo07 Ver2.0's "¿Que pasó ayer?" for the 9th time of some day a month ago and I watched the FT's openings 1, 3, 4 and 6... Needless to explain further, I was on overdrive of inspiration and since I loved NaZa after...**

**Now that I think about it, how I started watching FT is pretty funny... and I'm starting to believe that it was destiny what made me a fan of this couple... It was thanks to my little brother, who was watching animes of my sister, that I never had the time to watch, while I had breakfast. He was watching the Tower of Heaven arc when I saw the anime for the first time and that was what made me a NaZa fan to the bone.**

**NaZa vein, **_My scared friend_**! Naza vein! Hahaha! xD****  
><strong>

**After finishing with the ToH arc, I stopped watching and went to my bed to listen some music, saying to my Little Brother that I didn't like the anime and that it resulted pretty much obvious and common to me... Big lie, I know... Hahaha! I waited for my LB to leave the computer and leave my apartment for about an hour, running to the PC when he did so and starting to watch FT from the beginning to the last chapter my sister had downloaded... I think it was the 61 at that moment... Unimportant. **

**Okay, enough sidetracking, going back with the original point; since I loved NaZa and already had NxE-Forever's influence, together with my translation of Chrono's "Inside Out" story, I started on this long road that it's writing stories for NaZa until the web searcher tells that there are 20 pages with results. XDD**

**Pretty interesting, right? Or was it boring? XD Whatever, I won't bother you each chapter with this kind of ramblings, I just wanted to tell the story behind "Knowing it..." and who were the ones responsible for its creation. ;D**

**Well, enough with the chatter. I hope you had enjoyed the chapter my fellows, 'cause I certainly did!**

**Saludos.**


	13. The Council is here

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**I do own the OCs that appear through the story, Nova Scarlet, Kaki Dragneel and the idea for the fic.**

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><p><strong>Knowing it from the beginning.<strong>

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 11: 'The council is here…' – Literio's news.<strong>

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><p><em>(Brammingmont; North side, crash site.)<em>

**Rune Knights entering the city, Council's patience running thin, foreigners and locals plan to defend someone whose determination is now faltering.**

**Does he want to be defended?**

**Which will be Natsu's decision when the moment comes?**

Silence again; how original.

Unable to voice out their concerns, unable to tell just a simple comment, or even a white lie to pretend that everything was alright; when that wasn't the case, she was confused and he was regretting what he did so far, with now his choices being two hard ones that could change everything. Such pressure. Why did it have to happen now?

Free Jellal to save the world and later leave him to Erza so both can start the relationship that always got interrupted by the whims of fate, or free Jellal to save the world after he establishes his relationship with the girl at his side… which would not be right.

'Why did that idiot had to mention him in the first place! ?' He thought angrily, a frown settling on his features, his eyes staring vacantly at the now afternoon sky; it's colors reminding him of certain red-head and also of the girl that appeared a few hours ago stating that she was their daughter… theirs… 'I would like her to tell me what my future self, did in this situation…'

His eyes moved to look at the woman next to her; she was staring at the stoned floor with those sad eyes of her, making his frown softened. The girl was complicated in the way she managed her life, always thinking too much about the things that involved her and the ones around her. Why was she so complicated? Why couldn't she just say that Jellal was past history and that he was the real deal now? Witness a forbidden spell in action that brought THEIR daughter from the future wasn't enough for her? He sighed; catching her attention, moving her head to see him restart the talk after minutes of sharing that uncomfortable silence.

Not knowing what to say, he only returned his eyes to the scarlet sky and muttered. "What do you think of that girl? Nova…"

The question caught her by surprise. Making her looked at the same thing as him before giving an awkward answer. "She seems intelligent and… blunt… and…"

"And stoic and short tempered and prideful… reminds me of someone…" He continued with a small smile, which she returned. "Someone dear to me, that it's probably the one that came with the name for her…"

"What? I would never name our daughter like that!" She answered quickly, sending a glare at the dragon-slayer. He grinned at her, dismissing the glare with his carefree attitude.

"Sure? Because I would have named her Natsusa, not Nova…" He deadpanned, chuckling amusedly at the expression she made when hearing the name he was planning to give their daughter.

"Natsusa? Are you a dimwit? Who would be so cruel to name his daughter like that?" His chuckled turned to a laugh and he stood up to face her, watching her bewildered face and do the same as him.

"Well, someone original, funny, strong and idiotic… I can't think of no one else…" She narrowed her eyes at his smart remark.

"Sounds like someone that will be alone for the rest of his life if he continues to be so _idiotic_..." He matched her expression, grunting at her comeback.

"Oh yeah? Then what would be the name that a _smart_ person would give her, huh?" She looked at the sky in thought; making the man tapped his foot impatiently when minutes passed and no answer came.

"Well, Erza seems like a fitting name…" He looked at her incredulously, almost bursting out in laughter again.

"And Natsusa is a dimwit's name? Please Erza! Come up with something original!" She frowned at his words, a small tick appearing on her forehead.

"What's wrong with that name? My name! It has history and it'll make everyone around her feel respect for her, not need to make fun of her!" His growl came back and a tick appeared on his forehead too.

"Her last name will suffice for that! So an original name would not hurt or bother her!"

"Of course it wouldn't! It'll traumatize her!"

"What did you said! ?"

"What you heard!"

Their faces were inches apart, eyes staring defiantly at each other until they noticed the position in which they were, backing away in less than a second with backs turned and blushes covering their faces. This was how their arguments would go from now on, with him messing around with her until she came back with a comment strong enough to make him mad… before both realize how silly it was the argument. Natsu stared ahead for a while, trying to regain some face to talk to her again, thing in which she was better and as such, she was first to break the silence.

"Should we call it a tie?" He spun around to look at her, surprise over his features, a smile growing after seeing her cross her arms.

"Yeah, let's call it like that." He answered softly, a playful grin settling to his next words. "Though, I still think that Natsusa is a good name…"

"Whatever, I'll not let you name her like that…" His grin widened at realizing something that both failed to notice during their previous arguing.

"So, you're admitting that you'll have a child with me?" She jumped slightly at the question, now getting what she previously said and the implications she made, a furious scarlet blush as her hair coming to her face and making her turn around to glare at the man now approaching her to hug her, much to her shock. "Nothing would make me happier…"

Her shock grew and her blush now spread to her entire body, trembling on the spot with her eyes looking at what was behind the man before smiling and resting her head on his shoulder with close eyes. "Natsu… You… mean it?"

"I would never lie to you…" She hummed sarcastically at his words, making him sweatdropped and laugh nervously. "From now on, that is."

"You promise?" He raised an eyebrow at the request, thinking back of the moments in which her trust was betrayed over and over again, and how that made it hard for her to give her trust to somebody when it was about these matters.

The sudden image of a man with an eye patch and turban asking him to look after her and him promising to do so came to his mind; making him nod and hug her stronger, burying his face in her scarlet hair, breathing her sweat strawberry scent and promising to himself not to lie to her again before promising it to her.

"I promise you… Erza…"

* * *

><p><em>(Magnolia town; Fairy Tail's main hall)<em>

Garret stood quietly in the middle of the room, meeting indifferent eyes with quizzically ones, Gildartz Clive and the rest of the guild found out thanks to _a__ strange__ letter _that he was part of the foreigners that were striking Fiore's guilds and now they were demanding answers from him. He was going to give them none though. His loyalty to the plan's creators too high to betray them just because he was discovered, he was thinking about a way to avoid confrontation and escape from the place, thing that was hard to do with so many magical bindings restringing his movements.

"Tell us and you'll be free to leave." Was Gildartz' proposition and even if the thought of telling them a lie seemed appealing, the silver-haired man knew better than to lie at someone who's skills were better than his… and let's not forget that the entire guild was surrounding him.

"I cannot tell you without permission of my superiors." His reply was simple but strong, he hold his own against the Guild Master's eyes and shook his head when some of the members that got to befriend him pleaded him to answer. "I'm sorry but unless Master tells me that it's okay, I cannot answer any of your questions."

"You mean Natsu, right?" The old man said uncharacteristically calm for this kind of situation, earning a raise eyebrow from the foreign wizard. "The council was right then, Natsu is behind all this."

"When did you learn of such thing?" He asked quickly, losing his composure slightly in front of everyone that saw him being of terse and calm demeanor. The image of the rune knights coming out of the Master's office the day he was introduced flashed in his mind; then they got the news fast. "I see."

"Yeah, so speak and you'll be free to leave." Again, some members urged him to talk and tell the truth, thing that warmed him inside; seeing how much those people got to trust someone when it joined their guild was something rare for what he knew of the world. He shook his head again, smiling at those that wanted to avoid any harm made to him and looked back at the guild master, his determination showing perfectly in his white eyes.

"Sorry, I cannot betray Natsu-san like that, unless he wants you all to know I cannot tell anything." Gildartz frowned at the words, giving to two steps forward and raising his prosthetic arm to touch Garret's forehead with his index finger.

"I'm happy to see that at least that idiot got trustworthy and loyal friends, good friends like you that when discovered didn't try to escape or hurt his old friends, but I must remain faithful to my word." The silver haired man nodded in understanding before closing his eyes in anticipation. "I'm sorry for this."

His finger started to shine and suddenly the main doors of the guild were opened wide, startling everyone and making the guild master and the foreigner look at the figure walking calmly to the center of the commotion. It was Gajeel. "What are you doing?"

"Gajeel? What do you mean?" The old man asked, coming to stand at Garret's side.

"I'm not talking to you old man, I'm talking with him, what are you doing? Didn't you get the message from that weak guy?" Some people started to ask him what he meant, some others understood immediately and the foreign wizard arched an eyebrow at the question, shaking his head in answer much to the iron eater's chagrin. "He said that the flame-brain is okay with revealing the plan! The others that went with him know already of the plan…!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Wait a minute and explain to us what's going on!" Levy shouted annoyed at the two guys talking like if they were the only people in the room, Gajeel looked at her with a quirked eyebrow before grunting in response.

"Nothing strange shorty, I was part of the idiot's plan that's all…" All of them stared in shock and agape at him, though for Gildartz it was nothing strange, the iron dragon was in fact a double agent in Raven Tail too and he was certain that the ex-Phantom member joined Natsu to spy on him. After shrugging off the questions threw in his direction, Gajeel looked at the Fourth Master of Fairy Tail expectantly, waiting for him to order the freedom of the man tied up with all kinds of spells.

Sighing, the old man told them to release Garret and let him explain what was happening now that he had free-way to do it. Sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor, the silver-haired man crossed his arms and started telling them what he knew, earning more shocked looks and questions that he answered in order until he got to the end of the story. "…And now, it seems that Natsu-san wants you all to know the true; though, the reason of why is unknown to me."

"I see, well, that should be all. We'll have the full story when the Council finishes with that idiot..." To his words, Mirajane let out a nervous chuckle escape her, making Gildartz turned to look at her in question.

"About that… I'm not sure if the Council will be able to get Natsu…" Garret raise an eyebrow, Gajeel scowled and Gildartz narrowed his eyes, making the white-haired beauty shudder and chuckle nervously again.

"What do you mean, Mira-san?" Garret asked politely, trying to calm the mood that was settling.

"I kind of asked Freed and the others to intervene…?" She answered with a question, scratching the back of his head when Gildartz growled in annoyance and face palmed.

"We are going to get it bad when this is all over, you know?"

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingmont; North side, crash site)<em>

And the two left each other's arms and sat peacefully on the stoned floor again, small smiles in their faces when looking at the sky again. Natsu moving his arm to grab Erza's hand softly and give a small squeeze to let her know that he was there with her and that it would remain like that. Unless someone like… pretty much the rest of the group came to make them jump away from each other, understand people, they're sure about their feelings for each other but not about telling them to the others.

Looking questioningly at the two wizards, the group exchanged confused stares until Literio pushed Gray away in impatience and kneel in front of Natsu, the pink-haired going back to normal when he saw the serious face of his partner. "The council is here…"

Four words and the leader's eyes widened, going to look in Asis' direction before crossing eyes with the rest of the group; Gray, Lucy, Nova, Kaki, Literio and Erza, the last one staring at him in surprised for what she heard. Her eyes widening when she saw Natsu winking at her and standing up with a hand engulfed in flames. The man looking away from her as he walked a few steps in front of them with Asis and Literio positioning at his sides, the woman raising her hands and forming her magic seal and the blonde man engulfing his body in lightnings with a distasteful expression on his face for what he was about to do. The Fairy Tail dragon-slayer whispering just two words before Asis shot a barrage of spear-shaped air attacks and Literio powered them with his magic, surprising the others. "I'm sorry…"

"Air Magic! God's spear!"

"Lightning Dragon's Roar!"

Jumping away from the danger, the strikes clashed against the buildings behind them and damaged them badly, some of them collapsing immediately, some others shakily standing with their ground floor pierce through; avoiding the falling buildings and trying their best to avoid getting touch by the lightnings, Team Natsu and the two kids prepared to confront their attackers… or defend themselves until they got answers about the sudden change of sides. Though, shouts and screams of question were ignored by the three as they continued to attack the locals, Natsu just standing still on his position with his eyes looking at the ground and his bangs hiding them from view. Nova frown at seeing that, a simple jump above the foreigners with some twist to avoid being touched by Literio's magic positioned her at his father's side.

"Natsu, why are you doing this?" She said, still obliging to his order of not being called 'Father' by her. His body turned to face her, both hands engulfing him flames all the way to the shoulders before he gave a battle cry and charged at her while throwing a succession of kicks and punches at her with great speed, much to everyone's surprise. Kaki, seeing that Nova didn't do anything but avoid the attacks of her father, faced the blond man and breathed a long line of fire that became a large fireball with full intention of hurting him. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

Making Literio jump to a side to avoid it, he took the chance and rocketed through the opening he made by sending flames to his legs; the blond was about to intercept him but when he tried to move his legs he found them encased in ice and glued to the ground. Following the trail of ice on the ground, he looked up and his face met with a hard blow made by a black suit-dressed man with tinted glasses that sent him clashing against the wall closing an alley. "You hurt my Lucy!"

And lastly, Asis, already knowing Erza's way of fighting, continued to fire barrage after barrage of air spears at her, changing to earth magic when the scarlet-haired sorcerer touched the ground, not letting her a second to stand still or get close to her. "Earth Magic! Rock pillars!"

"Requip!" In a flash of light, her heart-kreuz armor changed to the Flight armor, the ability of her equipment allowing her to move faster and dodge Asis' strikes without trouble, growing close to the foreign woman with each move. Asis bit her lip in frustration, stopping her barrage of air and earth spells when the scarlet-haired wizard was meters close to her, and quickly kneeling with both hands touching the ground; a light-brown magic seal appearing before sand surrounded her just in time to stop a slice from Erza aimed at her chest. The Titania frowning at seeing that her opponent was resourceful and that she hid this many abilities during their first confrontations. "Tch!"

"Sand Magic! Desert's storm!"

Before the S-class mage could notice it, a large wave of sand appeared from behind the shield and pushed her backed several meters, before she requipped to her Dark Wing armor and flew away before being pushed against a wall. Observing the situation from above, she saw Asis standing in the middle of the sand with her eyes fixed on her. Now that I think about it, I haven't described her, right? She was a woman of the same height as Erza, with black long hair tied in two ponytails running down her chest, dark crimson eyes and light brown skin, she was dressed with a long sleeved white waistcoat that had gold colored borders, white trousers going to her knees and matching closed slippers. "My name is Asis Suna, mage from the eastern country of Drakkar and member of the Secs Ashes guild."

"I see, you already know me, so let us end this!" Tightening the hold on her sword, she charged full-speed at her enemy.

Natsu continued to deliver a flurry of hits at Nova, not showing an inch of surprise at the ease with which the girl eluded his assault, though, he could feel her exhaustion; the one caused thanks to his fire induced kicks and punches, the heat was making her sloppier by the minute. Giving one last punch to her head, she avoided it by titling her head to the right and he took his chance at seeing her standing on one leg, quickly dropping to one knee and extending his other leg, Natsu quickly pivoted his body around, using the extended leg to knock away his opponent's leg, sweeping Nova off the ground; catching her by surprise with the move but being interrupted when he was about to finish her with a swift kick to the gut by the furious screaming of someone getting quickly close to him from the back.

"Annoying…" Was all he said before jumping back high enough to let the boy pass and hit his partner on the chest in Natsu's behalf with both of them clashing against the wall of a store, breaking it and ending inside of it; twisting in the air, the older dragon-slayer placed his hands together and did his magic's trademark move to finish off both kids with just an exhalation of fire through his mouth. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

An explosion and the building collapsed on contact with the attack with its remnants burning wildly, leaving the pink-haired with the dry thought that he finished with them and making him turn around just in time to see a set of long, curved ice lances coming fast towards him to impale him; he frowned at the move, already knowing who sent it, just jumping to a side to dodge them as he knew the attack was easily avoidable. Big was his surprise when the lances changed direction and followed him whatever direction he took, letting out a furious growl when he saw Gray smiling cockily at how he surprised him with that improvement of his move.

Literio got up from the ground and touched his face with a sole hand, withdrawing it to see blood coming out from his nose, he narrowed his eyes at seeing the damage done to him but shrugged it off and stood up. His eyes gazing with indifference at the new enemy that hurt him when he was distracted, a slight scowl settling on his face at seen the new fighter charging at him before he could even say something. A down kick to his head, he moved his arm and stopped it, moving quickly to grab the leg and use the momentum to send the spiky-haired man face first against the floor behind him. "You must be another of those spirits, right?"

"A-and what if I am?" The spirit asked angrily while getting up from the floor with both hands, glaring daggers at the blond from over his shoulder; Literio shrugged, not really knowing what change it made to know of that.

"Just curiosity…" Taking the chance, Loke (Yes, it was Loke.) moved over his back and rolled his torso continuously in a circular path on the floor, across the upper chest, shoulders and back, while twirling his legs in a V-shape through the air, later using his hands to balance himself and make a windmill series of kicks to the chest of the surprised Literio; finishing him off by standing completely and doing a reverse kick to his mid-section, sending the blond crashing against some boxes.

"I'm Loke the Lion and you made a terrible mistake in hurting my princess." He said while fixing his glasses and standing on a fighting position again, a determinate glint appearing through his tinted glasses.

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingmont; north side, outside the city.)<em>

"Lahar-dono! There are sounds of fighting close to where the unknown object fell!" One of the officers said to his superior, watching him frown at the words, Lahar stared at where the object from the sky fell and saw clouds of smoke, several explosions and a building on fire. Fire. That meant that the people they were looking for were there. Turning around to face his men, he raised an arm with an open palm and ordered them to move into the city before the fight ended and the objectives ran away.

"Move into the city! Neutralize all the mages and arrest those that resist or help Dragneel and his followers!"

Several shouts of agreement were heard and the men marched eagerly to the city through the main road, the black haired man crossing his arms while thinking about what it could be happening in there. Minutes ago he saw a flash of light over one of the rooftops, everything was quiet then and now fighting erupted, it was probably a feint… or…

His frown deepened, starting to follow his knights.

'Dragneel… are you aware of what could happen to your friends if they help you? Or you are just showing your true colors?'

**To be continued**

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><p><strong>Update. Next one coming soon.<strong>

**Enjoy!**

**Saludos.**

**PS: Yeah, not so talkative lately.  
><strong>


	14. You'll know soon enough

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**I do own the Original Characters that appear through the story and the idea for the story.**

* * *

><p><strong>Knowing it from the beginning.<strong>

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: 'You'll know soon enough!' – Fran's answer.<strong>

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><p><em>(Brammingmont; north side, outside the city.)<em>

"Lahar-dono! There are sounds of fighting close to where the unknown object fell!" One of the officers said to his superior, watching him frown at the words, Lahar stared at where the object from the sky fell and saw clouds of smoke, several explosions and a building on fire. Fire. That meant that the people they were looking for were there. Turning around to face his men, he raised an arm with an open palm and ordered them to move into the city before the fight ended and the objectives ran away.

"Move into the city! Neutralize and arrest all those that try to help Dragneel and his followers!" Several shouts of agreement were heard and the men marched eagerly to the city through the main road, the black haired man crossing his arms while thinking about what it could be happening in there. Minutes ago he saw a flash of light over one of the rooftops, everything was quiet then and now, fighting erupted, probably a feint… or…

His frown deepened, his form moving to follow his knights. 'Dragneel… are you aware of what could happen to your friends if they help you? Or you are just showing your true colors?'

"Ugh!"

"What's this…! ?"

The bespectacled man looked ahead quizzically, hearing the complaints of his men; he walked closer to them to see what was happening, one nervous looking one, whom noticed him first, gave him a salute and pointing at the entrance of the town he showed something that made the Head of the law-enforcement unit frown. A wall of purple colored runes prevented them step into the combat zone.

"Sorry gentlemen but you cannot pass…" A deep serious voice said from nowhere to the rune knights with no trace of humor in it, Lahar didn't knew the voice but he was able to discern the magic used to close the passage, runes, there was a member of Fairy Tail capable of using such magic. Scanning his surroundings thoroughly, he found the source of the voice stepping out of an alley leading to the road they planned to use; Lahar's assumptions were correct, the guild was also involved.

Freed Justine looked at the knights with a calm scowl and crossed arms, his sword sheathed, his robes moving at the rhythm of the blowing wind along his long green hair. His team partners nowhere to be seen. "Please leave, do not interfere with the personal affairs of our guild."

The black-haired man wanted to laugh at what was said, and indeed, a snort coming from him made his men stop glaring at the rune specialist to turn and look at him in surprise. Walking past the men under his command, he stood face to face with the barrier stopping them and looked at the Fairy Tail mage on the eyes, sending a hateful glare in his direction. "Personal affairs? We're here to arrest those responsible for attacking guilds all over Fiore! This stopped being a personal affair long ago. Move aside, Freed Justine, and we'll be let this incident slide."

Freed shook his head, his arms moving to grab the sash and hilt of his sword in a defying fashion, expecting the council's army next movement. Lahar's frown deepened, looking through his coat pockets he pulled out a magic pen and started modifying the runes, letting his men pass to arrest the green-haired man in less than a minute. Charging at him with spears high and some shouts-taunts, the rune knights grew close to Freed as he stood firm on his position, unsheathing his sword when only a few meters of distance remained and screaming just two words that made the council's commander regret sending his men to a blind charge. "Bickslow! Now!"

"Alright baby!" Breaking through the window of a building's top floor to the left, the doll's specialist of the Raijin tribe and Fairy Tail floated over the knights with two dolls supporting his weight as the other three started shooting randomly at the men, making some of them stop their charge to take cover, just a few of them reaching Freed to engage on close combat; which with the man's grace in it wasn't the best course of action.

Lahar gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in anger, as always that damn guild got in the middle of the Council's business and opposed them, be that one of their members was involved or a random friend they made, they always got in the middle with their reckless and carefree attitude.

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingmont; north side, a few blocks away from the fighting between FT and the Rune Knights.)<em>

"Should we intervene, Hyde-san?" Asked monotonously a man leaning against a wall of a dark alley, watching the corner where the stoned floor and the wall of a house joined, his eyes giving away his disinterest in the fight or for anything else for that matter. He wore black full body armor with the neck extending up to cover all the way to his nose, some spikes on the shoulders, knees and the tip of his boots; he had red scarlet hair with its sides and back kept short, while the front was a small bunch of hair combed forward, half narrowed brown eyes and slightly tanned skin.

Hyde looked at him from over his shoulder, shaking his head in answer before kneeling and closing to the end of the alley to watch the situation better; watching the two new arrivals holding off the ones going after their leader at the same time his ears let him know that the fighting between his partners and his leader's old friends still continued.

"Though we should, flame-brain won't hold back much longer and sparky and whinny won't either." Another voice, this one livelier than the previous, said while stepping close to the kneeled man. He wore a dark green trench coat, a black shirt underneath with a multi-purpose belt strapped diagonally from his shoulder to his hip, and trousers matching his trench coat's color. He had slicked back hair with one side black and the other white, one eye completely closed with a scar running up-down over it and the other eye showing to be blue and okay, and paled white skin.

"I know, Fran, but Asa-san's orders are to remain close and watchful; only intervening if Natsu-san gives us the signal…" The light blue haired man said while watching some more explosions occurring close to the crash site and the fight between the two mages against the rune knights getting complicated.

"And just what signal is that?" The man now known as Fran asked bored, putting his hands on his coat pockets and turning to look at the increasing quantity of buildings on fire where his leader was fighting, his eyes moving by reflex to look at three magic shots of different elements coming from the crash site to the sky. Fire, lightning and air coming from different spots but going to the same destination, merging together and continuing their way upwards after clashing in the middle of their route. "Now I know, let's go!"

"No, you go and get those fighting the council out of there; Pierre and I'll go help the others, join us after that." Fran grunted and muttered some insults and incoherencies as he walked towards the fight, leaving his friends behind; both guys nodding to each other before running on the opposite direction.

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingmont; north side, crash site.)<em>

Asis dodging Erza's constant and deadly slashes, Literio having the time of his life with an opponent that could only be defeated if he knocked out his master and Natsu jumping away from ice and fire strikes from Gray and Kaki at the same time he dodged Nova's sword. The pink-haired didn't like the situation of him fighting his friends… daughter and step-brother… but he couldn't be thinking about liking or not liking it, he needed to, no; he had to provoke this fight between them so they weren't blamed for his fault. He knew that the Council would be more than pleased to arrest him, his collaborators and some of his friends from the guild, and he didn't want to give them that pleasure, not if he could do something about it.

Looking ahead, Natsu saw another fireball heading his direction, he only jumped away from its path and found that Nova was expecting him with her swords raised above her head, ready to cut him in half; he flashed a caring smile at her and she stopped wide-eye at the action, bad move. "Don't let feelings rule you…"

"You're one to talk!" He heard Gray's voice behind him, his arms raised at his sides, turned to blades that when they got near to the dragon-slayer's back, were melted by the intense heat his magic pressure did. "Ugh!"

"Go away!" Was all Natsu said before roundhouse kicking the ice mage on the gut and sending him a few meters away, using his remaining leg to spin on his position and kick his daughter on her side, she went flying to the boulder Kaki and she did when they arrived; now with his personal space free, he had a clear view of Kaki running head-on to confront him in close combat; another smile, such a stubborn fella, like himself years ago. Jumping over the flame kick the boy did, he tried the same move and the boy ducked to avoid it, using his contracted legs to make one of the many moves Natsu knew as the back of his hand.

"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Kaki ignited his entire body on fire in order to ram into Natsu's mid-section at full speed, and then launch him high into the air with his large horn of fire, but he didn't expect the older fire dragon to grab his head when he was close to him; the pink-haired used the propulsion of the attack and made the boy give a complete twist on the air before sending him head-first crashing against the stoned floor under both of them.

Natsu scowled at the boy before stepping to a side and letting Nova's sword pass close to his left arm with her close behind, his head getting close to hers in that moment to whisper something he felt the need to point out. "You cannot fight fire with fire, especially with a fire dragon-slayer."

She remained stoic at what she heard, quickly turning around on her toes to send another slash at her father that he avoided by jumping back, an action that repeated itself several times before the scarlet hair gave one last slash aimed at his chest and later moved to a side to let a barrage of ice lances take her father by surprise. But his stupidly big grin could almost state the contrary.

"Nice! Fire Dragon's Roar!" Punching his fists together, he inhaled a good amount of air as he leaned back and later exhaled it all as fire that melted the ice yet again; Nova foretold that move, so she remained close to him to launch a second assault, but when she charged at him, he was already expecting the red-head with his fists ablaze, ready to stop her on her feet.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu engulfed his fist in large flames and punched his daughter on the center of her chest, sending her flying away against a surprised Gray that was about to launch another ice spell; both mages rolling on the ground until they stopped thanks to a wall, a few meters away.

The fire dragon-slayer straightened up, looking at his handy work, Kaki's leg twitching while most of his body remained buried in the ground, and Gray and Nova struggling to stand up after the last attack; Gray having a more difficult time as he was still wasted from his fight with the blond now fighting Loke, and his daughter trying to regain her breath after receiving such a blow to her lungs. The pink-haired mage scowled at the image in front of him, mentally scolding himself for doing such things to those he hold dear but understanding that it was for their own good.

"Tired Gray?" He asked in a teasing manner, trying to get on the nerves of his friend as he used to, years ago.

"Y-you wish!" Panting in between words, Gray moved an arm to the close wall to support his body weight, trying to glare at his old friend and rival, but failing miserably with the exhaustion making him cross his eyes in the attempt. "Fuck you flame-brain…!"

"I know, popsicle, but you'll thank me later." He give a few steps towards them, his body showing him as fresh as when the fighting started and his scowling face indicating that he wanted to stop with this; though Gray had other idea in mind.

"Thank you my ass! You start attacking us with no reason and you expect me to 'thank you'? I understand that you have a plan and all that but…!" His rambling was cut short by Natsu; the man grabbing him by the throat was making it hard to continue with his scolding. The dragon-slayer hided his eyes from view, his factions giving away the fact that he was frowning for what was said. "B-bastard…!"

"Father! That's enough!" Nova cried out was heard by all of the present, though that didn't stop them from continuing with their battles. Natsu merely tilted his head to look at her as his hold on the ice mage's throat softened. "I can see why are you doing this, but it's unnecessary!"

"Unnecessary?" The pink haired wizard whispered, moving his arm to throw Gray to a side and start walking towards the young red-head. "You said that but I can see in your eyes that you have no other solutions in your mind."

"That's a lie!" Shouted the girl as she finally stood up, tightening her hold on her sword and readying herself for anything that her father could do to her. "You could…!"

"No!" Natsu cut her short as he stopped in front of the girl and glared at her straight in the eyes. "There's no other way."

"Natsu!"

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingmont; north side, outside the city.)<em>

"I'll say it again! Surrender or we will arrest you!" Lahar said as he avoided yet another beam coming from the dolls of the puppeteer. "Tch!"

Bickslow was about to say something but him, his dolls and Freed suddenly disappeared from sight, letting the rune knights hear only the sound of footsteps coming from one of the alleys.

"Sorry, my illusions have a limit…" A lively voice said to the perplexed knights, as the owner of said voice stepped into view. He had black and white hair. "Now, why don't we have real fun?"

"Who are you! ?" Lahar questioned as he came out of his cover and faced the new arrival. The man snickered.

"Me? Don't worry," He raised a hand and this one soon started to engulf itself with light, a death serious glare coming from the man as he prepared to launch an attack. "You'll know soon enough!"

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingmont; north side, crash site.)<em>

"Natsu!" Erza's scream was heard coming from behind the Salamander, who was still glaring at his daughter and not caring for the oncoming sword heading to his exposed back. She managed to defeat Asis with her Black Wing armor, and now she was focused on getting some answers from the dragon-slayer and his actions; preventing him from doing any harm to their daughter first, that is.

*Clang*

The sword fell to the ground, the sound of it falling stopping and catching the attention of the fighters to where the sound came, their eyes meeting with the unfamiliar figure of a black armored knight with a sword's flat side held in front of him that stopped the blade of the Titania from reaching its target.

"I'm your opponent." The armored figure said as it lowered his sword to look at his opponent in the eyes. Erza and the others were shocked to see and hear the black knight talking but their shocked quickly faded when, the knight charged at Erza with his sword at the ready, Literio took the chance to hit Loke with his Lightning Dragon's Roar and Natsu continued to talk with his 'so-called' daughter.

"There's no other way, Nova," He softened his eyes for a fraction of a second, catching the girl off-guard again, before hardening it again and hitting her on the ribs with his right elbow. She went flying a few meters and hit the hard floor with her back, almost drifting to unconsciousness. "I'm sorry…"

"All you know is to say 'I'm sorry'!" Gray muttered loud enough for Natsu to hear, the pink-haired looking over his shoulder with his eyes hidden again as the ice mage struggled to stand up. "Coward!"

"Don't insult Natsu-san." Was the reply to his words, coming sternly from a man that now stood behind the fire dragon-slayer. The man had light blue hair tied down in a ponytail that rested over his left shoulder. He narrowed his eyes at Gray and the ice mage did the same, with the sudden appearance of the black knight, the appearance of this guy did not surprise him as before.

"Tch! don't tell me what to do!" Gray moved his arms in front of him, his right hand opening with his left closing to a fist before both joined with a light hit; mist coming from the joining before several lances formed and launched themselves towards the frail looking guy. "Ice make! Lances!"

"Good luck." Natsu said before ducking to avoid a fire engulfed punch from his 'step-brother' and kicking him away against a building, following him with his fire-leg thrusters to continue with the fight.

"Thanks." Hyde whispered out of politeness before raising one hand with its palm open facing the ground, an invisible force field surrounding him and making the ice lances shatter on contact. "Light magic, forcefield."

"Tch…!"

**To be continued**

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><p><strong>Sin comentarios!<strong>

**Yes, I did actually said that in spanish, sorry about it. It means, without comments, something that maybe you've already guessed.**

**I'm saying that since three or two chapters ago! xD**

**Okay, there's some comentarios. Sorry for delaying the arrest and all that, it's just that I feel like trolling you, my readers, as Hiro does. XD**

**By the way, I've come to the conclusion that, the arrest will be the final chapter of this story.**

**Why?**

**Because, the title and the summary were already explained, there's no need to continue the story.**

**But that doesn't mean that the story will stop here! I'll publish a new one showing what happens during the 'year and a half' before the decisive moment arrives. xD The title for it? Don't know yet. Feel free to throw ideas. XD**

**So, for now, see you guys around.**

**Saludos!**

**PS: That means, regards or respects, as in goodbye. xD**

**PS2: I'm glad to see more stories about NaZa from others besides my friends, (To which I send my best wishes and a message of impatience for making me wait so long for their updates!) hope you guys continue to write NaZa and encourage more readers to write about them! xD**

**PS3: I don't have one. XDDDD (Lame joke, I know.)  
><strong>

**PS4: To my friends again, I'm still waiting for your chapters for the project we talked about! XD  
><strong>


	15. Twilight Empress Armor

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**I do own the Original Characters –OCs- that appear through the story and the idea for the story.**

* * *

><p><strong>Knowing it from the beginning.<strong>

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13: 'Twilight Empress Armor' – Nova's armor.<strong>

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingmont; north side, crash site.)<em>

"Tch! don't tell me what to do!" Gray moved his arms in front of him, his right hand opening with his left closing to a fist before both joined with a light hit; mist coming from the joining before several lances formed and launched themselves towards the frail looking guy. "Ice make! Lances!"

"Good luck." Natsu said before ducking to avoid a fire engulfed punch from his 'step-brother' and kicking him away against a building, following him with his fire-leg thrusters to continue with the fight.

"Thanks." Hyde whispered out of politeness before raising one hand with its palm open facing the ground, an invisible force field surrounding him and making the ice lances shatter on contact. "Light magic, forcefield."

"Tch…!" Gray was running out of patience and magic power, he couldn't use his second reserve now; the battle was barely starting, enemies were coming out of nowhere and his friends were in peril. His mind demanded him to hold his ground whatever it takes to buy them some time.

"Light magic, hyperion!" A large concentration of energy focused on Hyde palm before being launched at the ice mage, his ice shield unable to hold off the powerful blast and thus sending him away against Lucy; who unbeknownst to his situation and concentrated in Loke's fight didn't notice him until it was too late. Hyde narrowed his eyes as he walked closer to them. "You're no match for me; tell me, why're you fighting?"

Gray spat some blood to the left as he straightened himself, not hearing Lucy's complain about him almost hitting her leg. "Get out of my way!"

"I see," Was all that the light blue haired man said before raising his hand again, light covering his hand again as he prepared for another strike. "Light magic, hyperion!"

Another large light-blast hit Gray, even if he tried to avoid it, the ball of light-energy was too fast for him to do something to counter it, thus he was sent flying against a building's wall. Dropping on the ground, he felt his energies leaving him, his body already surrendering to the exhaustion cause because of the continued fighting. First, the lightning dragon-slayer, later Natsu and now this light magic user; his body wanted some rest. Though, stubborn as he was, Gray stood up shakily after hitting the ground and casted another ice spell.

"Hyperion was the largest moon of Saturn, now gone and replaced by Titan, which is also one of the strongest spells of Light Magic; how do you plan to counter them?" Hyde explained as he walked closer to the ice mage. Gray glared at him before letting his hands drop to the ground, a trail of ice erupting from it and making its way to his enemy; who sidestepped and avoided the pillar of ice that rose from the position in which he was previously at. "Words are wasted on you."

"Girl! Do it now!" Gray screamed as he saw the chance to take the man by surprise. Hyde raised an eyebrow at his words but then he felt a presence behind him, looking back over his shoulder, he saw the girl resembling the Titania lunging at him with a spear held high and wearing a different armor. He barely had any time to dodge her strike so he tried to use his defensive spell.

"Light magic, forcefield!" But the invisible shield shattered upon contact, the spear's blade slashing him across his chest. His hand went to touch his injured chest, his eyes narrowing at the sight of blood and his mouth opening slightly to show him gritting his teeth, he gazed at the girl standing at the ready in front of him and her armor; wonder in his mind if that was part of the Titania's infamous counter-armors. "T-that armor… that spear… you crossed past my forcefield like if it wasn't there in the first place…"

"Twilight Empress Armor…" She answered his unspoken question without listening to it, spinning her spear in front of her and showing her first requiped armor. It was black with white trimmings that had white suns is several places. It had a revealing white-edged breastplate and plates flanking her hips that reach down to her waistguard. The armor looked like the Black Wing armor that Erza was now using but the differences were its colors and the piece of armor that covered her revealing-exposed areas with metal armor close to her figure like a second skin. She had large plates guarding her legs. The armor also had two mismatched wings that have black and white metal, one looking like an angel's wing and the other like a demon's. Nova's hair was untied but held back with a large metal part covering her forehead. "The last armor my mother used before… passing away with my father, this armor counters light and dark magic; if that's all you have in store, you don't stand a chance against it."

He quirked an eyebrow at what she said, also noticing that it could be true; if the small cracks, severed areas and blood stains on the armor and the weapon meant anything, the left shoulder, where it was the arm that held the spear, was the most damaged area and had bigger stain of blood over it, making him take note that the Titania was going to receive a fatal blow there in the future. The wings held holes and slashes on them too, probably leaving her unable to use the ability to fly with that armor. He dropped his hand gripping his injured chest and nodded, raising both arms to his sides and closing his eyes. "It seems like I'll be of no help on this fight, please finish me and go, girl."

Gray and Nova looked at him in shock.

"Do it, please, fighting you will be useless if you have such armor with you…" Gray looked troubled at this, preferring to let the reequip user to decide. Nova shook her head, reluctant to do something like striking an enemy that surrendered.

"If you don't want to fight then go away and don't interfere, I'll not finish you off." She said to him with her most impassive face though a frown at the statement betraying her feelings, making the man in front of her shook his head in disapproval before turning to the ice mage.

"Then freeze me, Fullbuster." Gray felt a vein popping out on his head at the order before nodding and preparing his ice make, using what remained of his energies to cast a last spell on his enemy and incase him inside a pillar of ice. Hyde only muttered a small 'thank you, taking a final look at the fights around him before the ice froze his head too. Natsu was fighting that other fire dragon-slayer, the Titania was fighting Pierre in an incredible display of swordsmanship, Literio was fist fighting the stellar spirit that the blonde summoned, Asis was lying unconscious on the ground surrounded by broken earth pillars and Fran… was nowhere to be seen, yet; he was surely delaying the Rune Knights. He casted a final look at his opponents, Nova watching him freeze with narrowed eyes while Gray panted on his now sitting position before dropping to the ground in exhaustion. And then, all he saw was darkness, the ice completely covering him now.

"Are you okay?" Nova said as she ran and kneeled next to the gasping ice mage, concern in her eyes as the man smiled painfully at his state.

"One down, three to go… hurry and help… your mother…" Nova's eyes widened at the last words, staring at Gray for a moment before hearing him chuckling at her reaction. "I'll be fine; I just need some rest…"

"B-but…!" Gray growled at her in impatience, making her flinch before nodding and going steadfast to help on the other fights. The man softened his factions for a fraction of a second.

"She really is your daughter… Erza…" And he closed his eyes. Letting unconsciousness take him to where he could recover his energies.

* * *

><p><em>With Kaki and Natsu<em>

"Stop avoiding me!" Kaki's anger-filled yell was heard as he lunged another fire fist to his senior, the dragon-slayer just side-stepping to avoid the fist and moving fast to give a hard punch to the other's gut; making him spat some saliva and tremble at the force of the hit.

"Too slow." Withdrawing his fist, Natsu moved his other hand and grabbed the boy by the face tightly; now delivering a series of punches to his whole body that disarmed Kaki and left him unable to move. Releasing his face, he gave a final punch to the boy's face, making him fall to the ground with pain overwhelming his body. The pink-haired stared at him with remorse for having to do that but hided it well as he now opened his mouth to speak again. "Why did you come?"

"U-uh?" Kaki tried to stand up again, failing miserably to even call out his flames. Natsu asked the same question and came to kneel to his side, staring intently at his blue eyes. The dark haired boy smiled cheekily to him, shaking his head in answer. "I won't… tell you…"

Natsu's stare changed to a harsh glare, his hand moving to grab the boy by his scarf and raise him to be close to his face. "Why did you come?"

"Why do you care?" Natsu clenched his teeth and growled angrily; the boy's resolve already melting at the sight of the Salamander's wrath.

"Nova said she was glad I was alive, why's that?" Kaki shrugged nonchalantly, giving him a sympathetic look to him before opening his mouth to answer.

"What it is! From where we came, you and everyone else are dead." To say that Natsu was surprised was an understatement, he was now trying to understand why would he be dead in the future and couldn't get a clear answer… but one… he failed; somehow, during the course of his plan, he failed and was killed. Tightening his hold on the boy's scarf, he shook him violently and demanded a better and more clear answer, to what the boy grinned amusedly and shook his head. "Won't tell you…"

The pink-haired's response to that was giving the boy a hard kneed on the chest, making him cough and gasp for air before demanding an answer again; threatening to do worse if he didn't receive an answer now. Kaki smiled weakly to him, shaking his head in answer again.

"Stubborn brat!" Natsu bellowed enraged, using his tight hold on the boy's scarf to throw him to the air, him following close with his thrusters and flaming his fists to finish him with a more than overkill move. "Dragon Slayer's Secret Art! Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!"

A torrent of blade-shaped flames lashed out from Natsu's arms and hit the young dragon-slayer with incredible force in a spiral formation. Every time Kaki was hit with one of the blades, it exploded and burned his skin, much to his surprise; he thought that fire-based attacks couldn't harm him. Seems like he was wrong. Falling to the ground with no energies or force to move his body, the dark-haired boy clashed against the fight-wasted floor of the city, unconscious; his body tired and battered after receiving such attacks and wasting his magic for nothing… noticing that he did more attacks than Natsu, but the other had landed stronger blows on him, getting him tired faster and out of magic before his normal.

That was the cause of his defeat.

The senior fire dragon looked at his opponent with a slight narrow of his eyes, lamenting but two things about the fight; his opponent was supposedly his "brother" and the battle didn't last long enough to prevent him from going against his friends. Raising his eyes to look around, Natsu saw that only two battles were left, Erza and the girl against Pierre, and Lucy and Loke against Literio.

He scowled at the image of Gray lying unconscious on the floor, Hyde incased in ice and Asis lying unconscious surrounded by her earth spells. He clenched his fists in frustration before hearing footsteps behind him, a familiar scent coming to his nose at the same time a voice called out to him.

"Oi, flame-brain!" It was Fran and he looked annoyed. "I did my part! Those morons from the council will be licking their wounds for a while!" Looking around his leader, the mismatched-haired man growled angrily. "You… you didn't save an opponent?"

"No, though, you still have that other girl next to the one from my guild." Fran looked around, finding three women and one guy still fighting his companions; a blonde using a whip to lash at Literio when he was distracted with a suit-dressed man and two armored red-heads fighting incredibly well together against Pierre; who if he had any troubles fending them off, didn't show it. The man snorted amusedly, walking next to Natsu and whispering something to his ear.

"I take it as the young red-head wasn't supposed to be here," He raised one arm and this one was surrounded by a dense and dangerous whirlwind, that didn't bulge Natsu at all. "Special treatment?"

"Not this time, she's my daughter." Fran looked back and forth between Natsu and the young red-head, a curious look settling on his features.

"Seriously?" The dragon-slayer nodded, the mismatched-haired man whistled. "You're a rapist?"

"Hell no!" Was Natsu's answer as his fist tried to hit Fran on the head, but it went by past him when it was supposed to connect. The pink-haired grumbled some curses at the time his companion let out an amused cackle. "Just go and distract her!"

"Going…" The man said in between cackles as he walked calmly to where the three were fighting, Natsu glaring at his back all the way. Fran couldn't help but smirk at the feeling. 'So, you're still with us, uh? Let's see if that's true…'

**To be continued**

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><p><strong>I know, another chapter and the fighting is still going; but! it is like this for a purpose!<strong>

**Likely in the next or the 15th chapter this story will end and it'll give room for the Epilogue, and the sequel.**

**There's so much to explain. Natsu's involvement with this organization, why the mages accompanying him hate the magic council, why's Jellal a dragon-slayer too, Garreth's condition during his stay in Fairy Tail, what's going through the mind of the Chairman and why's he pushing hard to get Natsu lock down with Jellal, what Asa and Natsu told Gajeel for him to join them, why's the magic council of Fiore banning so many kinds of magic when on the rest of the world isn't like that, what happened with Tartaros, what's that about the council doing things with the dragon-slayers, who's the main enemy of this story called the 'dark one', why did Kaki and Nova traveled to the past, why's Romeo the master in the future, what happened during the last battle that left Nova's armor from Erza so broken, and so on. xDDD**

**So much to answer and so little time. =/ Though, that's up to you also! I've been feeling down because I already have fifteen chapters publish and the reviews don't pass from 50... I'm not greedy, I'm trying to make a point. XD Good stories have a good percentage of 5 reviews per chapter, so make you're maths. XD My story isn't that great for what it looks like... though, I blame the prologue for that, it was made when I was still improving. u_u**

**Well guys, don't be surprised! But I'm about to publish 7! Yes! S-E-V-E-N! new ideas I got during the time I was struggling to write this chapter, so be my guest to a night full of NaZa stories! ^^**

**Saludos.**

**PS: I hate you Hiro Mashima, chapter 264 is a blasphemy to Shonen and a spit to the faces of all the people that took their precious times to write about their favourite couples. I salute you NaZa, GraZa, ErCy, LaxusErza, GajeelErza, WendyErza - O.o -, MirajaneErza - x.x -, OCErza, LucyJellal, UltearJellal, OCJellal... and pretty much that's it... seems like no one tried to defiled the azure-haired man, though felt perfectly alright in doing that to Erza. xD I'll do something about that... in revenge. B(**


	16. AN  News

**Claimer: This piece of news is 100% original and truthful, it is not a joke. Check my profile if you doubt the veracity of this message.**

* * *

><p><strong>Announcement<strong>

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original news update.)_

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><p><strong><span>News 01-08-12:<span>** Time for some news, my fellows! Several things happened in my life recently that are pushing me away of the goal I settled to myself as a NaZa shipper and since I need to make some changes and adjustments, I decided to take a vacation of sorts... until **February the 5th**, that is! xD

There's so much too do... I wasn't expecting so much work for this days, I have like 4 stories to update, 10 one-shots to publish, 3 more projects to plan before finishing with their starts! Namely **"Knowing it from the Beginning"**, **"My Candy"** and **"Scarlet Flame, Celestial Ice"** the later being neglected because I lacked any good ideas to continue it.

But that's the least of my concerns, right now, I'm more focused in the new guys that joined the ranks of us -those that are trying to fill the NaZa archive-. So much potential, such good ideas, so fresh and ready for everything that it makes me remember when I started! I sound like an old man. Or someone with a ego complex... I believe it is that what I'm trying to express... whatever! I'm help cause I would have liked someone to help me when I started writing this same date on 2011!

Too honest! Scratch the last sentence!

Completely overthrown by the pressure of writing/living/advising/reading/reviewing/living/working, I'll stop updating/publishing/planning for this month and take time to write without worry or weight of mind. As I used to when I started this road of mine 7 months ago in the NaZa archive.

**Translation:** I'll continue to write, but I'll not upload anything to the site.

**Resume:** I'm taking a break.

**For dummies:** I'm tired.

**For hardcore NaZa fans that might try to pressure me:** I'm not going to upload anything... Yet!

**For my friends:** I'll still be available to talk... err... write messages through PM? Hehe!**  
><strong>

That should be all, I think, for now I'll leave you in the expert hands of those that inspired me to write in the first place. I know they'll not let you down. I'm talking about _shinji01ikari _and _NxE-Forever_. Oh! And _Kirihara-sama _and _KnightScales15 _too! And let's not forget about _corialanus, Moonless Eclipse _and _Nightlingbolt_! And _GH- Dark-Doom -FT, Zorlite, Sydwashere and Getsukira_! I almost forgot about them. Haha!

So... farewell, my friends! I hope this is just a short absence and not a disappearance from my part! ^^

_**My deepest saludos to everyone!**  
><em>


	17. Closure's arrival

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**I do own the Original Characters –OCs- that appear through the story and the idea for the story.**

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><p><strong>Knowing it from the beginning.<strong>

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14: The arrival of the closure.<strong>

* * *

><p><em>(In Asa's communication space.)<em>

"Would you, please, calm down a bit?" The short girl known as Sera asked annoyed at the rambling man passing back and forth in front of her and her partner, Baron. Asa was losing what seriousness and calmness he had left, the last line of events making his mind enter a frenzy to know what was that that triggered them, making the ones that looked for his orders being stopped by the lack of focus from his part.

He knew that when Natsu wasn't around, he was the one to give orders to everyone, but after the incident with that formless white being during his last peek into the future… his mind couldn't do anything but wonder how did that happened.

"Answers!" He repeated maniacally as a tantrum, both hands clenched into fists behind his back, his eyes wide and dilated, and his hair a mess for scratching his scalp every time he suffered a headache. Sera released a sigh and Baron stood nervously next to her, both watching the second-in-command lose his sanity.

"W-what should we do, Sera?" The blue haired boy asked his partner, conflicted about what to do with their friend. The petit blonde shook her head in answer, either tired of the scene or telling the boy that she didn't know what to do. They were there, standing idly watching for the past 30 minutes and he didn't even bother to explain what was the cause of his distress.

"I need answers!" Asa bellowed to the dark void one last time before dropping over his shaking knees, his hands moving to cover his face as he trembled all over, shocking his spectators. Baron's mind connected the dots, he felt identified with the scene in front of him, know getting what was happening he got close to the man and rested a hand on his shoulder; gazing at him worriedly when their eyes met.

"What are you afraid of, Asa-san?" The question seemed simple enough, but, unbeknownst to the boy, it struck a nerve inside the man's head.

"Lack of answers!" He screamed ashamed, getting up hastily and shrugging the supportive hand of the timid boy; returning to his back and forth passing, he started to confess his fears to the kids. "I'm supposed to know everything, yet! I don't know why those kids are here! Or what's that thing that assaulted me!"

"Idiot! No one asked you to know everything!" Sera yelled sick and tired of the drama, her voice echoing in the darkness of the communication space until it faded in the nothingness; Asa looked at her with narrowed eyes, his steps taking him to stand imposingly in front of the girl. She took a tentative step back at the unexpected proximity, raising her arms defensively in case he tried anything to harm her but instead, he started to scream loudly.

"Do you know my past? Do you know my heritage? Do YOU have any idea of what I AM?" He berated at her on purpose as he knew that Sera was sensitive to loud voices or sounds, especially those near to her. Baron flinched at the scream but rushed to the help of his friend, anyway. "I am a FARSEER! I'm bound to know everything that happens in the world! And prevent tragedies from ever happening! If something like this happens, am I supposed to stand idle and uncaring about it? Of course not!"

"A-asa-san!" Baron squeaked uneasily, trying to get the man away from the pained Sera with both arms hugging his waist; she was trembling all-over with her hands covering her ears, trying to stop the noises from damaging her ears.

"What would my mentor say? What would my parents think? I'm a disgrace! And you! YOU! Tell me that I'm not supposed to know everything?" He removed the hands holding him and leaned forward to glared at the now crouching girl. "Get out of my sight! Before I do something I regret!"

"Asa-san!" But before Baron could do anything Sera disappeared from the place, leaving a glaring Asa and dumbstruck Baron to see the empty space in which she was previously crouching. The blue-haired boy glared at his superior, teeth clenching and nails digging so hard into his clenched palms that some blood was leaking from the wounds; he was now finding some backbone after witnessing one of his leaders hurt his partner and friend. "Why the hell did you do that?"

"You too, I want to be alonhmpf…!" His sentence was interrupted by a fist connecting with his mouth, move that pushed him back a few steps before the enraged Baron. Asa touched where the punch landed and withdrew his hand to see blood on his fingers, the red fluid dripping from his cut lip, his eyes turned to glare harshly at the young boy now marching towards him to continue his retaliation. "Baron… leave… now!"

"Like hell!" And he jumped to give another punch, watching the unsurprised farseer stand his ground before a figure appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Baron's fist effortlessly, making the boy stop and look in surprise at the new arrival. It was a man with long light blue hair tied down in a ponytail that rested over his left shoulder; he was glaring at him from his position in front of the second-in-command. "Hyde-san!"

"What are you doing, Baron-kun?" Asked Hyde with some edge in his voice, looking over his shoulder to witness the injured lip of his leader, not noticing the distraught state in which the man was, preferring to take care of the boy before asking what was happening. "You know that Natsu-san won't be please with your actions."

"But…!" The blue-haired boy wanted to say something but a hand raised in front of his face stopped him completely from speaking further, Hyde's magic aura making itself be known and frightening him enough to make him shut his mouth in fear of angering the quiet-stoic healer.

"Leave and wait with Sera for instructions, you've done enough." And, with nothing else to say, the boy nodded shakily and vanished from sight, his eyes glaring at the figure behind Hyde before leaving completely. The light blue-haired healer sighed in a tired fashion, not liking the fact that he had to use his aura to scare the boy off. He wanted to solve troubles without any kind of aggressiveness if possible. He turned around and looked questioningly at the man cleaning the blood from his lips with the sleeves of his robes, demanding an answer to what happened before he appeared in front of the farseer.

"Go away, I need to be alone." And he walked off into the darkness, leaving Hyde to watch his retreating back with a confused stare. Was it him or lately everyone felt like doing a drama over nothing? Sighing tiredly, the man took a seat on the floor and continued to watch the pacing farseer, staying with him to alert anyone that entered the realm of the frail state of their second-in-command and prevent something like what he saw before, from happening again.

It was enough to have almost the entire world against them, they needed to remain united as a group.

Or their mission would surely fail.

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingmont; north side, crash site.)<em>

Jumping away from the blast sent by the new fighter, Nova narrowed her eyes at the man introduced as Fran, watching him smirk at every attack he launched and she avoided. It was bad enough to be fighting a man skillful with the blade together with her mother, and now this freak had to appear telling her that she was his opponent; couldn't they just state why they were fighting against them for? Out of nowhere, her father learns that the Council's army is there and suddenly decides to attack them with his lackeys, more of them coming with each one that they defeat.

Lucy was still fighting the blonde man with her spirits, but she could see that she was getting exhausted and that her opponent was nowhere near of being winded. Her mother was holding her ground against the black-armored swordsman but she was also getting exhausted; she was surely thinking about other things while fighting, thus making her sloppy on her moves and get more strength on some of her attacks that were depleting her faster.

She had to do something! Her father was just standing on the middle of the battlefield looking at their fights and was waiting for an opponent to be freed, she needed to finish her fight with this other man and go confront him about his motives. But the mismatched-haired man was just making it impossible for her to do so! "Look here!"

"Ugh!" She was distracted, she'll admit that, and was struck on her sword-arm for being unfocused; leaving it unable to grab a weapon again until it got healed. Fran's smirk widened, he was enjoying the fight even if his opponent wasn't paying too much attention to it.

"Your dad didn't tell you to be focus on a fight? Oh! My bad!" He laughed hysterically at his own dark humor and taunt, marching to the girl with a hand raise and prepared with another spell. "Light magic! Hyperion!"

"Reequip!" A flash of light and she changed to her Twilight Empress Armor, feeling that it would bring the same result as in the previous battle, using her unwounded arm to cut the blast in half with the armor's spear, and dissipate it before charging at the man with the weapon held high. "Move aside!"

"As you wish!" And he disappeared from sight, letting her spear hit nothing but the ground that received the strike and added a small boulder where it hit; one more to the many on the battlefield. She looked at her surroundings with alert and found him standing to her right with his hand ready with another of his attacks. "Light magic! Titan!"

Her right side didn't feel anything at the start, it began to burn for a moment and later she felt the large white beam pushing her against a wall at great speed, her armor taking most of the damage before being completely broken; shattering into a million pieces before her shocked eyes, her spear following the same fate for being used to hold back the powerful attack.

Nova's eyes widened.

Her armor.

The armor that belonged to her mother.

Shattered after receiving a single strike!

She watched helplessly as the armor disappeared and left her in nothing but the swimsuit-like second part of it and her father's scarf, still protecting her from taking most of the damage but not saving her unprotected parts from the burning light.

It is true that she never let a single strike touch the armor, but she hoped that if the situation presented itself, the armor would resist it and shrugged it off like nothing. Seems like she was wrong. She fell to the ground on her knees, her hands and arms stinging her with unbelievable pain for stopping her face and torso from hitting the ground before moving frantically to gather the pieces that were once the armor given to her as a memory of her mother's death.

"Oh, sorry! Did it mean something to you?" Fran mocked as he faked concern for the broken armor, his actions stating the contrary to his words as he was inspecting the nails of his right hand with an uninterested look. "The armor, that is."

"Y-you…! You!" The girl tried to form words to shut the man's mouth but none came to her mind, too busy with what happened to even notice that Natsu was looking at her at the moment and that Erza was on a standstill with her opponent to cast a look of concern on her direction. "M-my mother's armor!"

"So… it meant something?" Fran asked feigning stupidity, disregarding the glare sent his way by the red-head fighting Pierre and the feeling of someone's eyes on his back. "Sorry then, girl, I got carried away…"

"Fran." Natsu's voice resounded behind him, the dragon-slayer putting a hand on his shoulder and making the mismatched-haired man look at him from over his shoulder made that part of the battlefield go silent; Fran frowned at seeing the stern face of his leader. "That's enough."

"If you say so." And he backed away from the place, taking a seat close to Hyde's frozen figure and leaving Natsu to close the remaining space separating him from his… daughter. The dragon-slayer kneeled in front of her, a scowl in place as he watched her hands –wounded for the last attack- gathering the remnants of the armor she said it belonged to Erza.

"Nova," He spoke softly, making her raise her head to look at him with pained-desperate eyes. He didn't know what to say, he wasn't a father -yet- nor did he knew what to do in this kind of situations -yet-. For instance, he knew that lying to her would not help, neither would it help disregarding the armor and asking about her state; he could only think about what happened… what he 'allowed' to happen and wonder what could he do now that the damage was done. Maybe some truth would help, since he knew… _her. _"I… I know of somebody that can repair it."

Yes, he wasn't going to apologize this time. What was done was done. It was hypocritical of him to do that when he was the one to cause it, but that didn't matter now, he needed to calm the girl and reassure her that what happened could be undone… that he was going to mend his mistakes and the mistakes his followers did during the plan's path. The red-head looked at him with her broken stare before lunging to hug him tightly, much to his surprise. "D-dad!"

She started crying. How much he hated that, especially when the girl looked exactly like… her. The fact she looked identically to the woman he love wasn't helping his anger to settle, he now wanted to kill the one that cause this, even if it was one of his own men. He returned the hug awkwardly, trying to soothe her pain with his hands, one rubbing her back up and down while the other caressed her hair as his face tried to control and not show the anger about to explode.

But then, he felt it, he _smelled_ it; several scents approaching the square with an odor he identified immediately and didn't remembered fondly. His eyes hardened, his body went rigid and his body heat raise in temperature; things that didn't went unnoticed by the girl he held close. She tried to move away from him to question him about what was going on, but he stopped her and whispered hastily while pretending to still being consoling her. "Knights. You and Kaki out."

"Wha…?" She managed to say before disappearing from the place in the blink of an eye.

* * *

><p><em>With Fran... and the frozen Hyde.<em>

'Seems like he's not.' Thought Fran disapprovingly as he watched the display of affection of his leader towards the girl, he saw it coming; he knew that even if Natsu's plan involved fighting against his old friends, the dragon-slayer was going to feel regret for doing it. He sighed shaking his head, his eyes going to look at the other fights; missing the disappearance of his leader, the girl on his arms and the boy lying unconscious close to him.

* * *

><p><em>With Erza and Pierre.<em>

"Concentrate." Pierre said with no emotion, making a sword appear on his left hand before using it to slash at the distracted Erza, she looked at him again and avoided the blade with a simple sidestep to her left, reading the next movement and summoning a sword of her own to parry a slash from the right; making another standstill.

"Who are you?" She asked as he tried to kick her on the gut and she jumped back, he lowered his arms and shook his head to her, running to strike her again with a double slash in an X fashion from the front that she stopped with just one sword; using her free one to stab him on the chest but stopping when she noticed that he wasn't going to avoid it. "Are you looking to die?"

"Don't lower your guard." Was all he said before overpowering her block and breaking her sword in two, Erza giving a step backwards, leaning back to avoid getting her throat slit; the edges' of his swords gracing some strands of her hair that weren't so lucky. He moved another step, giving a slash to her middle with his left that she avoided with a backward jump, he moved again to stand in front of her and gave a stab with his right… stopping when the blade was about to touch the Titania's armor. "We're even."

Well, he was honorable… or stupid, that was certain. She nodded slowly before moving the blade from aiming at her chest with her own, summoning another one to continue the exchange of blows.

Her mind raced as the two exchanged blows. She hated when her feelings got involved in something, she couldn't think straight about the present matter when that happened, and with Natsu being the cause of all the disaster that was happening, it was fairly obvious that she was still trying to digest the info correctly. Her Natsu, the one she thought she knew, was the one disrupting the order she likes; not that it wasn't rare for the dragon-slayer to disrupt order, but this far? Her brain was replaying what happened so far and what she knew:

The pink-haired was back and was "supposedly" helping them with the foreigners' issue, he met up with her and showed her that he somehow reciprocates the feelings she has for him, they managed to beat the two outsiders and later have them to question about their motives discovering that he's on their part and seems to be their leader.

But if that's supposed to be true, then the known headstrong, childish and oblivious man she loves was in charge of an army of mages; making them do his will to fulfill a plan he had, like the guild master of a dark guild!

Or… no. She didn't like that comparison; that possible explanation!

It was like Jellal when he was drove mad and brainwashed to build the Tower of Heaven to revive the supposedly dead Zeref! Guiding people blindly to a disastrous end! But which was his purpose? What drove him to command this army of foreigners? And most importantly, what was the reason that triggered him to do it?

He couldn't have gathered them all to free Jellal and defeat the supposed 'dark one' just because someone told him and showed him an old legend! Though, that was something the old Natsu she knew would do... but! He showed her that he grew up this past years! So there was surely an ulterior motive for his actions!

She looked over her shoulder to see the man plaguing her thoughts and, much to her surprise, he wasn't there! Neither was Nova, and now that she examined the battlefield closely, the boy that arrived with her was also gone. 'When did he…?'

"Focus." The man in black armor said as he parried a slash and, moving away her other sword, got closer to her and rammed her with his chest plate; throwing her off balance and calling back her attention to the present fight. She steadied herself and raise her two swords to the front, stopping a vertical slash from cutting her in half; she clenched her teeth in annoyance and anger, she needed to get rid of this guy before checking Natsu and the kids' whereabouts.

But then, something clicked in her mind. She remembered how the man stopped when he had the chance to stab her through the chest, saying that they were even as she did the same thing for him before. She stopped her assault and made her swords go back to her magic storing space, nodding to the man in front of her before trying her theory. "My name is Erza Scarlet, S-class mage of Fairy Tail and Ex-quip user."

The man stopped at hearing this, mimicking her actions and making his swords disappear before speaking with his monotonic voice; a low bow given to the Titania out of respect and courtesy. "Pierre Marlier, Captain of Bosco's Royal Family guard and Armor Dragon-Slayer."

Erza felt her eyes widening in shock. Another dragon-slayer? And more over, one specialized in armors? So he eats armors to replenish his magic? How was that? Wasn't it the same as eating iron like Gajeel? And his roar? Did he spew weapons or armors? Confusing indeed, she nodded slowly to his introduction, calling back her weapons and returning to her fighting stance, the man doing the same. Questions would have to wait.

"A pleasure." She said tightening the hold on her swords.

"That, it is mine." He answered in kind before lunging back at her.

* * *

><p><em>With Lucy, Loki and Literio.<em>

Lucy withdrew her whip after the weapon was nearly caught by the blonde dragon-slayer's hand, clenching her teeth in frustration at how hard it was so far to make the man fall even with the help of her strongest spirit's help; she needed to think of something to overpower him and defeat him, or at least make him surrender like the guy, Gray and the girl from the future fought minutes ago. The light-blue haired man now stood frozen in the middle of the battlefield.

'Calling Caprico or Gemini won't be of enough help, and it will drain what little magic I have left…' She thought clutching her whip tightly, Loki keeping their enemy at bay while she figured a way to defeat him.

Literio was thrilled. An opponent that couldn't be defeated by normal means, that was able to counter his strikes with such grace that made him doubt his chances of victory, and that was experienced at fighting his kind of magic. He would be jumping of joy if it weren't be because losing focus would mean his defeat. The grin on his face widened to insane proportions, ducking a roundhouse kick to his head, he positioned his feet correctly and lunged to the spirit's back when it was facing him; his lightning covered fist connecting perfectly with the target's spine near the lumbar, hearing a crack sound from the hit and sending him flying against and through a building's wall behind the stellar mage.

"That… was… interesting…" He said in between pants, his body acting out of will-power to make him stand up straight, he cracked his knuckles and readied himself for the next round; he knew the spirit wasn't defeated yet. And he was right, Loki walked out –rather crawled- out of the debris and coughed a few times before raising his head to glare at the blonde foreign man. Lucy knew now that she needed to think faster, maybe calling Caprico to back him up wasn't a bad idea, she did called the goat more than once over the past years to help the lion and they seemed to fight well together. She moved her hand to the keys hanging on her belt, her fingers grabbing the goat's key by instinct before her arm raised high to summon him.

"L-lucy, stop!" She heard Loki calling out to her, she saw him getting up shakily and readying himself to continue; his clothes in tatters and his shade-glasses cracked. He was panting hard and his vision seemed to be blurring, but he was willing to continue the fight on his own. "I… I can deal with him…"

"But you're wounded badly! I can't…!"

"Trust me!" He shouted before his feet started to drag him forward rapidly, his fists glowing brightly as he waited anxiously the closeness to return the favor to the grinning blonde in front of him. The distance closed, a right hook moved to hit the blonde on the chest, and a sidestep from him followed by a fist to his face; the spirit stopped the fist from sending him flying like last time by the strength of his neck and legs, moving it slowly while the fist still remained on his cheek, his eyes glaring at the ever grinning Literio.

"You're getting slower…" Loki grinned cheekily at the man's words, unsettling him but not enough to him from grinning ear to ear.

"And you're getting sloppy!" Immediately after saying that, Literio found his arm grabbed by both hands of the spirit, preventing him from moving away; the golden light returned to the spirit's hands as it started to burn the blonde's arm on contact, making him grunt in pain. Loki's grin widened, as the light of his fists started to grow, inch by inch, spreading the burning sensation to the lightning slayer's front until it engulfed them completely; the spirit giving one last shout before disappearing from sight with his prey.

"Regulus Impact!"

And all that was seen…

…was light.

**To be continued.**

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><p><strong>Okay, I grew tired of waiting! I can't wait until February the 5th to upload!<strong>

**So here you have a new chapter, something to keep you entertain while I work with the next of "My Candy"; chapter 15 and the epilogue will be release for Sunday the 5th, so wait a little longer.**

**Going to myself, my vacation went great, I literally cannot complain about it. It gave me time to freshen myself, think about some ideas, organize others and pay some attention to my boring-routinely life.**

**About this chapter, I think I have stretch the fight longer than what I should have, so it will end... right now.**

**Wait for the next one to see what I'm meaning.**

**Also, I've been writing this story for the past months and so far, the only thoughts shared with me about where this story is going were through PM. Is there a soul out there willing to share his/her thoughts about the story through review?**

**If there is, please, you and all the other readers! R&R!**

**Saludos and glad to see you all again!  
><strong>


	18. Final Answer

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**I do own the Original Characters –OCs- that appear through the story and the idea for the story.**

* * *

><p><strong>Knowing it from the beginning.<strong>

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15: Final Answer.<strong>

* * *

><p><em>(Near Brammingmont's lake.)<em>

"Where…? Where are we?" Nova questioned out loud, her eyes finally distinguishing something about her surroundings; she remembered her father saying something about "Knights" and she and Kaki "out" before her vision blurred and the battlefield around them vanished from her sight. She was now on her knees, her arms supporting her as her head scanned what was around her, she was at the beach with Kaki lying unconscious next to her and her father standing a few meters away from her in front of them; he had his back facing them as his right arm raising with its fist clenched.

"Away from danger." It was all he gave as an answer. She tilted her head; not getting why he wanted them away from the fight this late in the course of events, she fought against him and was defeated, Kaki fought against and was defeated! Why would he want to take them away from the fight when he swatted them like flies before more of his partners arrived? He finished with Kaki like he would against a normal enemy and let one of his lackeys destroy her mother's armor! She was about to give him a piece of his mind but his next words caught her by surprise. "Take care of yourself while I'm gone, okay? And look after your mom…"

Her body froze, her eyes widened and her breathing stopped, she wanted to move and reach him to ask him what he meant with that… no! That she understood what he was saying and that she didn't wanted him to do it! She didn't want to lose her father again after being with him for an hour and just fighting! She wanted to know who he was! What the others in the future told her about the persons that he and her mother were! She moved to stand up, extending one arm with her hand open to reach him, feeling every muscle in her being aching for the blows received earlier but she continued, anyway… only to feel air in her grasp as her father's figure disappeared in front of her. Another shock. 'High…! High Speed magic!'

She fell to the ground face first, the fall being cushioned by the sand and the arm that wasn't extended to grab her father's clothes; she felt like crying at her luck, and cry she did, feeling all the pain in her body gone and replaced by a strong sorrow in her heart. It felt like somebody clutching the base of her feelings tightly, squeezing it by mere fun to make her suffer.

She felt the feeling once, a long time ago…

…when she was a newborn and her parents died.

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingmont; north side, crash site.)<em>

The place was quiet. The wind blowing swiftly moved the dust over the stoned floor of the plaza with one single swept, making noises when clashing against the objects around the place, cleaning the place of the smoke that came from the burned buildings enclosing a large boulder that lay in the middle of it; figures lay and stood there, being clear proof of what caused all the chaos around them.

Closing in on a pair of figures, the sight of broken swords, axes and other weapons appear, the view showing that an intense fighting took place and that the parts involved did their best to outwit the other; one figure laying on the ground with the other standing in front of it showing clearly that a winner was decided, either by chance or skill, but that the confrontation was over.

"Surrender." Pierre stated as he pointed a sword at the now defenseless Titania's throat, her swords lay broken around her, part of her Heart-Kreuz armor was broken, her magic reserves were almost depleted; she couldn't understand how the state of the fight changed so much in a few minutes, they were on an equal level and here she was lying on the ground at his mercy. The black-armored man continued to eye her with those emotionless brown orbs of him, the hold on his sword firm and his figure still as he waited for his opponent's response.

Erza clenched her teeth in impotence, she couldn't move with that sword threating her neck and she couldn't call for her telekinesis to use one of the lying swords behind the man to make a diversion that could distract the black knight enough for her to change into another armor set. Damn that Natsu! If it weren't being because of him, she wouldn't be in this situation. "Pierre, lower your sword."

Speaking of the devil. There he was, appearing behind the enemy in a flash, magic that Erza immediately identified as something like Jet's High Speed magic, with a look that could rival one of her sterner faces; Pierre nodded at the command and withdrew his sword, making it disappear before turning to face his leader in expectation of new orders, uncaring about the fact that he was exposing his back to his enemy.

Natsu didn't divulged his new orders right away, the pink-haired was inspecting the battlefield to see who were left in the place, a great wave of guilt hitting him as he saw the outcome of the battle he started; Asis still unconscious, Hyde frozen with Gray knocked out at his side, Fran sitting calmly close by and Literio lying with tattered and burned clothes in front of Lucy's panting and kneeled position. Turning his gaze to the side, he saw Erza still lying on her back with her arms supporting her, glaring daggers at him as she waited for him to say something.

"Pierre, go and retrieve Asis and Literio's bodies, leave them close to Fran and Hyde." The red-haired nodded again and moved to do as told, leaving Natsu alone with Erza and the now approaching Lucy; he cleared his throat and sat cross-legged on the ground, staring at the entry of the plaza that leaded to the north, where he was expecting the Rune Knights to appear at any moment. "You're safe now."

"Safe?" Erza questioned, not believing his words, safe from what? They were defenseless as normal persons in front of this group of renegades! Safe in what sense? "Safe? You've left us defeated and exhausted! If you're aiming for an easy kill then do it now!"

He shook his head with his eyes closed, waiting a few moments until Lucy was at ear's reach to explain his actions. "I did this for two reasons; one, to avoid getting the Knights the wrong idea, we fought against you and defeated most of you, they'll get that we're enemies."

"You did this to avoid getting us in prison?" The stellar mage asked a little surprised, she wasn't familiar with this smart side of their pink-haired friend, even if he had showed them enough of his new found intelligence with the explanations and revelations of the day; he nodded, standing up and going to the center of the battlefield, were Pierre dropped the unconscious bodies of Asis and Literio. "W-wait! And what's the second reason?"

Fran eyed the remnants of their leader's friends with some pity, Pierre just watching the pink-haired for new orders, Natsu remaining quiet as he couldn't muster the strength to tell them; biting back the urge to yell his reasons, he sat on the floor with his eyes closed, waiting for the ones to take him and his collaborators away from there with such calm that could rival an old monk's.

The blonde felt a drop of sweat travelling down her jawline as she waited for an answer, her eyes showing her that Gray was waking up behind Natsu's group and that he still couldn't move; he opened his eyes, closing them and blinking several times to adjust them to the afternoon light before the memories came back to him. He got up from the ground and looked to his left, finding Natsu and the rest of his group there, Fran being the only one eyeing him with disinterest.

He turned to look around and found Erza and Lucy a few meters in front of the group of mages, both exchanging glances between him and the pink-haired sitting in middle of the black knight and the mismatched-haired guy. "W-what happened?"

"You better go to that side of the field, stripper." Fran recommended, tiredly leaning on his back and arms to see the sky showing the first star of the night; Gray blinked once and then twice, an angry snarl coming from him before his fist and palm met and created an ice prison around the group of foreigners and Natsu, the people inside not caring for his actions.

"Now, you'll answer our questions!" The ice mage screamed victoriously, Lucy smiling unconsciously at the move of her friend while Erza's glare remained on the sitting Natsu. The half-naked man walked to stand in front of the cage he created, his back facing his female partners, he was thinking about which question was better to ask first when he saw Natsu's eyes opening, Pierre's face moving to see the north entrance of the square as Fran said what the three of them were thinking.

"They're here."

And he was right about what he said, in less than what Gray could notice, the army of the Council entered the square through the debris of the north buildings and streets; a man with glasses and long black hair commanding them as he surveyed the field of operations in front of him.

"I want ten of you to surround them! You five stay here and guard the exit! You two with me and the rest check the surroundings!" Lahar and his unit appeared from the north, his knights moving at the voice of his commands and doing what they were ordered, the symbol of their organization, the Ankh, showing itself perfectly to the people present. The sudden appearance of the Knights surprising the Fairy Tail mages, that didn't expect them to be there at the moment; as always, the army of the Council appeared when one least wanted them.

Walking firmly in between his men, Lahar stood still when reaching the ice prison containing his objectives, a satisfied smile almost working its way to his authoritarian exterior before he subdued it and diverted his attention to his surroundings again, they spared him the need to use his magic to forbid the objectives from running away; there were 5 foreigners inside the cage with the Fairy Tail mage, Natsu Dragneel, and 3 other mages from the same guild that he recognized as the ones that were mentioned by previous records to be part of his team, five years ago.

Looking back at the pink-haired man eyeing him from over his shoulder, Lahar cleared his throat and stated his reason for being there.

"Natsu Dragneel, for order given by the Chairman of the New Magic Council himself, Guran Doma, you and your collaborators are to be taken into custody and interrogation for the crimes across the Kingdom of Fiore; in between them, attacking legal and illegal guilds, harming mages, eluding law's forces and attacking them, and causing chaos in several cities on your path," Tilting his head downward, he said some last words almost in plead, barely an audible whisper for he knew that the man surely had some good motives for doing what he previously named. "Please, do not resist."

Natsu stood up from his position, eyes hidden by his pink bangs, calling the attention of those around him; his old friends, thinking that he was about to fight against the ones there about to take him, moved to stop him; Gray opening his mouth to yell at him while Lucy and Erza got near to prevent any catastrophe from happening… but they stopped when he answered, raising his arms with his wrists touching towards the shocked bespectacled man.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingmont; north side, hidden in between the rubble and debris of fallen buildings.)<em>

"Oh? So you aren't going to fight? That's interesting, indeed." An amused deep voice said aloud on his hiding place, in between some scorched remnants of what used to be the biggest house of the place; he was witnessing everything that was happening down in the square with a grin on his face and mischief in his eyes, a small wicked snicker escaping him when he thought about the next that could happen. "Déjà vu! Certainly, I was not wrong when Master told me to follow you! You're everything I was expecting! So unpredictable until the very end! So loyal to your friends even when you've showed them that you're not one to trust anymore! Natsu Dragneel…"

His face turned grim serious.

"…You surely are one of a kind…"

And he released a wicked laughter after saying it, disappearing from the place as he already knew what was going to happen.

* * *

><p><em>(Brammingmont; north side, crash site.)<em>

"What…?" Gray's question was heard all over the place as he grabbed the bars of his ice-make prison cell, glaring with shock and disbelief at the man inside, that didn't please with a meeting of eyes or a signal; he just stood there, waiting for his capturers to take him away in the same position. The black-haired man clenched his teeth in frustration, dispelling the prison to get near and force the other man –his old friend and rival- to look at him in the eyes; when turning Natsu around he just faced a calm-tired face, uninterested eyes staring back at his angering ones while the Knights moved to prevent any route of escape. "You must be kidding me! You'll just turn yourself in! After all that you've told us!"

"…" Words remained inside Natsu, as he waited for his friend to let out everything that was bothering him; that could be the last time they ever see each other.

"Talk to me, damn it!" He screamed and shook his friend's shoulder, still no receiving an answer that could put him at ease.

"You better say whatever is troubling you, Dragneel, this might be the last time you see any of these people." Lahar advised dryly, turning his head to avoid intruding with the personal affairs of his target, even if the conversation spiked his interest into knowing the dragon-slayer's reasons to attack his own countrymen and guildmates.

Lucy stepped closer to his friends, laying a hand on Gray's shoulder to ease his anger a little before looking at Natsu pleadingly, her voice telling him that she was also confused by his actions. "Natsu… why are you doing this?"

"…" The mentioned man met with both his friends' eyes, staring at them for a moment long enough to build expectation before voicing out his thoughts. "I understood… thanks to you, guys… that my way isn't the only one… I'll try and seek help from them…"

"…are you nuts?" The ice-mage yelled again as he removed one hand from his friend to punch him on the face.

"Gray!" The blonde reprimand, not liking the action, thinking hard about what Natsu was telling them; the man just shrugged the hit and returned his eyes to them, finishing what he wanted to say.

"Perhaps… perhaps _she_ was right… perhaps, if I tell the truth, I-we can gain more help…" Gray felt a nerve breaking before landing another jab to the man's face, releasing his hold on him to let him fall on the ground.

"Natsu! They won't believe you!" He said in between pants, his body not liking the idea of fighting after resting just a bit.

"It's worth the try!" Natsu screamed to the top of his lungs as he rose from the ground and gave the shocked Gray an uppercut with a flaming fist, now the ice-mage landing hard on the ground as the other glared down to him. "I won't know until I try!"

"Tch… Just do whatever you feel like, asshole…" And he stood up, wiping the blood from his mouth before Lucy could do anything to help him, walking to the south entrance of the square to lean against a piece of debris that looked like the rooftop of one of the houses. Lucy exchanged glances in between the two; she finally faced Natsu, who seemed to be calmer after releasing what the other couldn't understand of his motives. Sighing and shaking her head in disapproval, as she used to when the two fought for meaningless things, she gave the pink-haired a small smile and some parting words before going to see if Gray needed anything.

"Just… be careful, Natsu…" And she left.

And so… again… there were just two… surrounded by a unit of Rune Knights, that is. He looked at her from his spot, she averted his gaze, he opened his mouth to say something that at the end didn't come out and she waited in vain for something that would not come… Fran rolled his eyes. "Hey! Council guys! Can you arrest me already and spare me from this soap opera?"

"Quiet." Pierre told him sternly as a sword materialize on his hand and the blade stood dangerously close to the mood-ruiner's throat, the mismatched-haired man nodded slowly and remained quiet as ordered.

Seconds seemed minutes, minutes seemed hours, the two remained quiet as the time flowed and the hour for him to go drew closer; he was at a loss, everything that could be said died down on his throat, his mind couldn't think about something to tell her that could explain his actions, what he did to them that day, what was revealed…

She was hesitant, yes, hesitant. After finally grasping what could be his reasons for the actions of before, she didn't know what to say to him, a few things came to her mind but they were the kind that she wanted to hear in another situation. He had her support on what he was planning to do, saving the world, not, freeing Jellal through force, mind you. But… what was there to say?

A loud cough brought them back to reality, Lahar called the attention of everyone to him and finally ordered his men to move and take away the ones they came for; casting a look of pity towards the two that were not able to say words of good-bye if the worst-case scenario showed up for him. He looked at her in distraught, wanting to force the words out of him as the Knights cuff his hands and deprived him of using magic to escape. She shared his state, but her mind went blank at thinking about it.

"Finally! I was dying of boredom!" Yelled Fran as he was handcuffed and escorted by two Knights to the carriage that would take them to the trial waiting for them at Era; other two Knights moved to handcuff Pierre, but when the soldiers moved to do it, he simply asked.

"May I?" Pointing a finger at the loudmouthed man, receiving a nod from his jailers, he walked close to the eye-patch-using man and gave him a strong hit on the top of the head with his steel-gloved hands, the man dropping unconscious after receiving the fierce attack without knowing. Pierre nodded to himself and turned to let the Knights handcuff him, receiving nods of appreciation and understanding from them before being escorted to the carriage; Fran following close behind with both jailers supporting his weight.

"Time to go, Dragneel." The head of the unit told Natsu as he and two Knights escorted him with the others, Asis and Literio being carried in stretchers with their hands' cuffed as they were still unconscious but dangerous, while four Knights dispel the ice trapping Hyde before handcuffing him and transporting him on a similar way. Erza watched with a hand clutching hard on her arm and biting her lower lip to restrain any tears from escaping her eyes, how Natsu followed the others close behind with his mind trying to figure out what could he say to the person he held deep inside his heart…

…his eyes widened, just when he was taking the first stepped into the carriage.

_"Natsu… I… You… Do you like me, Natsu?"_

He smiled at the memory, turning his head at breakneck speed to yell at the surprised Titania, startled by the calling of her name from the man that she wasn't sure if she was ever going to see again. He was grinning from ear to ear.

"Erza…! I don't like you!" Many of the witnesses face-palmed or sweatdropped at the sentence, Erza feeling like she wanted to kill the bastard before they could take him while people like Lahar, Gray and Lucy preferred to close their eyes and pretend that they didn't hear that… but then again; the man was unpredictable. "I don't like you! I love you!"

Lucy gaped at the witty confession.

Gray felt his eyes coming out of their sockets.

Lahar chocked with his own saliva.

Erza looked at him surprised for a moment before feeling a blush and a smile creeping on her face...

...and he entered the carriage with a smile on his face.

**The End… **

**well, no… it'll be continued…**

…**on the Epilogue.**

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I know, you all hate me for cutting the chapter there and choosing this part to end the story before the Epilogue; but what can I say? I like the idea of you all scratching your scalps furiously while cursing my name -penname- and thinking about sending an assassin to force me into changing my end on this chapter.<strong>

**It was a long road, people, one that I'll gladly do again when I have gathered ideas for the sequel. 15 chapters, I never reached so many! And imagining that I've been writing since I was 15...! Oh! What a coincidence! Hahaha!**

**Nice to see a work done, I hope to end the rest now and take a little break to write one-shots or song-fics in a more leisurely way before committing myself again to this suici... HMPF! I mean...! ...before committing myself to "such an arduous task" again. Hehehe!  
><strong>

**Rest assure, nonetheless, my mind still drowns itself with NaZa ideas, so there's no freaking way that this'll be my first and last story about the pairing! Remember! I still have work to do before reaching the 20 pages for the archive!**

**Okay, too much rambling, I guess.**

**Until next time, a warm virtual hug from me!**

**Saludos!**

**PS. I changed its status to complete cause I felt like it... got a problem? :P  
><strong>


	19. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**I do own the Original Characters –OCs- that appear through the story and the idea for the story.**

* * *

><p><strong>Knowing it from the beginning.<strong>

_(A I.-.-.I Kuroyagi I.-.-.I original fan-fiction story.)_

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

**Chapter 16: Start the fire.**

* * *

><p><em>A week after the Brammingmont incident.<em>

_(Era; Capital of the Magic World._

_Magic Council's Headquarters, Trial Room.)_

Standing in front of the 9 sages in charge of the ruling body of the magic world was not something Natsu found all too pleasing, or short of likable, especially when he knew that many of the people there with him–especially the chairman- hated him and his guild for their way of doing things; now then, add to that that our friend was arrested because of treason to that equation and you will get why he isn't all too jumpy to be there.

The 9 wizards stared at the young dragon-slayer, scrutinizing his emotions and actions to see if he had any that could validate their suspicions about him; thing that was unnecessary, since the young mage stated his actions and motives to them as if he was planning to do that. Troublesome indeed. Was it good to believe him? Or was it another ruse like the one Jellal did many years ago? Time would tell, but if he spoke the truth, then time was something against them right now.

"So," Started the chairman while his fellows argue about what they heard from the dragon-slayer. "You want us to believe that, there's a 'dark one' coming to kill us all and that, only you and those of your kind can fight against him to save us all?"

Natsu nodded.

"Ridiculous!" Guran yelled, standing from his seat in anger. "If that story were to be true, then the old archives would say something about it! You're a liar and a traitor, Dragneel! Why would we believe your words when you have caused nothing but destruction in your path?"

"I believe he made that clear, Doma-dono." Councilman Reteo spoke with a cautious voice. "He said what we believe his actions were from the beginning; he was distracting us to attack our sacred ground and free Jellal Fernandes to do what he afterwards told us."

"Yes, he spoke truthfully; shouldn't we be reasonable when having this in front of us?" Councilwoman Ifridea followed, her narrowed eyes staring at the calm and expecting pink-haired. "What he says sounds believable enough, many dangerous and unknown threats fill our world, it wouldn't be surprising to have one of which the archives doesn't have anything about."

"And may I remember you, Doma-dono, that, our reputation is as stake with our decisions?" Org, having convinced the other council members on time, added with closed eyes. "I know that many wanted us to find the one causing all the chaos around Fiore, but, if we jail Dragneel and his collaborators, and later face with this 'dark one' of which he warned us about… wouldn't our authority falter even more?"

"More importantly, would there be any people to question our authority if his words are true?" Sefaly questioned out loud what many of them were thinking, making the Chairman take a sit back and listen to what the others spoke.

"Doma-dono, we all know and believe that this man needs to be punish for his actions, but what news he brings should be listen to; I think we should jail him but with some conditions." All of the sages nodded to Pryer's solution. "If his words are true, then we'll free him to help us with the menace, but, if he's lying we'll keep him in jail; as we want to."

"Hmm." Guran thought about the words he received, looking over them with a careful eye before standing to give his final decision. "Natsu Dragneel, you're to be imprisoned for your crimes for life, but, if your words are true, we'll disregard your previous actions and let you free to help the Council deal with the menace of which you spoke of."

Natsu nodded again, feeling happy to know that trying was worth it.

"Until the time comes, the year and a half that you said, you'll remain in the Council's prison chambers; under maximum security with chance to receive a visit once a month. Knights. Take him away." The guards guarding the dragon-slayer nodded and motioned Natsu to follow them, dragging him out of the court room before the Chairman could take a seat again. He saw the nods sent his way by the other council members and gave a nod of his own before hitting the ground with his staff, calling the attention of the guards standing close to the door from which the criminals came in. "Bring the next ones."

Another nod and the guards opened the doors to reveal the pink-haired's collaborators, walking inside the room in a straight line to stand in the middle of the room facing the 9 sages; different expressions held while they waited for the trial to start.

"Fran West, Hyde Drawbore, Pierre Marlier, Asis Suna, Literio Éclair;" He called for them by their names, making them look at him, stating the crimes they committed before going to interview each one of them and their reasons to do such actions. "West."

"I just felt like helping the guy, he said some very reasonable things… besides, he's a good friend of mine."

"Drawbore."

"Natsu-san's motives are well-intentioned; he's trying to save the world, even if his actions might label him as a dark mage."

"Marlier."

"I believe in Natsu-san's words and proof." This caught the attention of many inside the room.

"Proof? What proof?" Org asked.

"The one the Farseer retains."

"Who's this 'Farseer'?" Guran asked next, getting the feeling that with each question they asked, there would be another one expecting to be voice.

"I'm not allowed to say his name without his consent." Pierre stated shortly, earning some expressions of question and puzzlement from the sages, that, when getting the hint that the man was not going to tell much else of the subject, passed on to the next mage.

"Suna."

"He's a friend of mine, he helped me in my time of need and I'm going to return the favor, even if it costs me my life."

"And, Éclair?"

"I travelled with him for 3 years, we fought together on all kind of situations and discovered together this 'dark one' issue, if I were to desert him now, I would be disloyal to our friendship."

"Good to know that you're all close friends of that criminal, but, we need to know more of this 'dark one' before reaching conclusions about the subject." Guran said sternly, waiting for an answer.

"Farseer show us, and Natsu, proof regarding the 'dark one'; but if you're expecting us to show it to you, don't waste your time, because we'll not divulge about it." Hyde said parsimoniously to them, avoiding the idea of the Council knowing about Asa or his abilities… his old-banned abilities.

"Very good then, let's move to your own personal actions," Continued the old chairman with his hand clutching tightly on his staff. "You have all committed crimes that deserve punishment, some even with the penalty of life prison or death, but we received some letters earlier today that clears all of you."

The mages looked up in confusion, not understanding the last he said.

"West, Drawbore and Suna, your guilds have negated any kind of relation with you all, so that makes you wandering mages as Éclair; Marlier, Bosco's Royal Family has stated that the moment you left the kingdom you were retired from your position, so you're a wandering mage too."

All of them looked in shock at the Chairman and his news, Literio just feeling sympathetic towards his partners while Pierre nodded in acknowledgement, surely expecting that to happen from the moment he left his home at the palace.

"And since you're all governed by the wandering mages rules; you will be all set free." The mages felt another wave of shock hitting them.

"What?" Asis asked clearly confused, Guran coughed on his fist before getting comfortable on his chair to explain the Council's actions.

"You're all wandering mages, mercenaries, you do what your employer asks of you; so, the crimes you committed are charged to your contractor and you're all set free." A double-edge rule, but they didn't say anything about it, Natsu left clear that he wanted them to be free, regardless of the reason. "We would send you with your leader, but you have no criminal records before being ordered around by Dragneel; so, you are free to leave after a day sentence in prison."

Okay, it wasn't such a dumb double-edge rule, but it was surprising nonetheless; the Council was about to set them free after all the things they've done.

* * *

><p><em>(Era; prison cells of the Magic Council.)<em>

Grey brick walls, wooden reinforced doors with just a little space to look outside, and humidity dripping from the roof to the floor through the joints of the bricks. The place was like any other normal medieval-like prison, and, even if Natsu had no trouble with the gloomy atmosphere, he was seriously troubled by the humidity and coldness that governed the place.

"Enjoy your new room, scum, and get use to it," The guard smirked deviously at him, having heard of the fighting that took place and hurt many of his comrades while trying to capture him. "You're going to be here a loooong time!"

Walking away after saying that, the guard left Natsu alone to adjust to the new place that was going to be his home from now on; sitting on the ground with cross-legs, the dragon-slayer eyed his surroundings until he heard a voice calling to him.

"Who's there?" He asked, itched by the familiarity of the voice.

"Natsu? It's you? It's me! Jellal!" The pink-haired felt surprised by the coincidence, of all the cells in which he could have ended; he ended up in the one next to the man he was trying to set free. "What're you doing here?"

"Well, making a plan to attack the Council can get you in jail; you surely know that better than me." He replied mockingly to the azure-haired man, hearing him growl before talking again.

"Very funny, why are you here? Didn't you have a plan of sorts to get me out?"

"Yeah, I did, but _our mutual love_ talked me out of it…" He said sarcastically to the other man, imagining narrowing his eyes at the 'our mutual love' part.

"I knew Erza would set your mind straight, it was just a question of time…"

"Yeah, pretty bad she failed to do the same with you, tower of heaven…" Another growl.

"I was brain-washed at the time, and it was a long time ago!"

"Sure, then what about Nirvana? If you care about her then why didn't you take the chance to run away when we created a diversion?"

"She interfered before I could do anything!"

"Excuses, excuses…" Natsu said with a shook of his head, an amused smile working his way out when he heard another growl.

"Stop it, Natsu! Focus on the present! Why were you trying to free me?" Jellal asked, pushing aside his irritation and anger towards his new jail mate in hopes of hearing his side of the story.

The dragon-slayer sighed, he was avoiding this but if the man seriously wanted to know, then he couldn't do anything to keep it quiet, he needed to know who he was. "You're a part of my plan or the second part of it, I was gathering an army of dragon-slayers and mages to help me fight against a menace that is looking to end the world… and you're one of those dragon-slayers…"

"I'm what?" Jellal felt confused and troubled, a headache coming to him with some disrupted images flashing before his eyes, the most recent being his encounter with that messenger on his dreams and how he glowed a golden light before giving him a jab with the same power he didn't knew he had. "…"

"Good to know you both are getting along…" Said a voice outside their cells with amusement at every word he spoke, Natsu narrowed his eyes.

"You? Again? What do you want?" The voice from outside let out an amused chuckle.

"You know that I cannot tell you, Salamander, my boss won't like that…" The voice said avoiding being watched when Natsu and Jellal tried to take a peek through the cell door windows. "Don't cheat!"

"Another mysterious character, what is going on here?" Jellal yelled annoyed at the secrecy surrounding him.

"Believe me when I tell you that I'm as clueless as you, tower…" The dragon-slayer replied mockingly, still enjoying himself at the man's reaction for what he did in the past.

"It was a long time ago!"

"Hey, listen you two; I'm not here to listen to your endless blatter! I don't have time for that now, so, listen." The voice from outside made a pause, the following silence being signal that the guys were listening to him; he gave a short nod. "My boss wants you both free by the end of the month."

"What?" Natsu asked.

"Not again…" Jellal moaned annoyed.

There was no end to this, right?

"Reasons will remain hidden, but, I can tell you that we're willing to help, Dragneel, if you let us take Fernandez to help us with something." The pink-haired did a double take back at that, hiting the walls of his cells in anger before stating his answer.

"No fucking way!" The voice outside sighed; he knew that the man wouldn't want to agree to their terms, even if it meant his freedom. "We know nothing of you and you want me to let you take Jellal? The others won't like it, not even if it's with good reasons!"

"Natsu is right, surprisingly, why would I go with you when I know nothing of your intentions?" And the two were in agreement, for once, Jellal didn't want to help someone blindly; he was less than eager when the man outside chuckled at their words.

"Look, we're not a dark guild, not by a long shot; we're an organization, just like yours, Dragneel. We came all the way from the north looking for you after learning why were you gathering mages and dragon-slayers, eager to talk with you about this 'dark one' that you want to fight." He made a pause, letting the words sink in before continuing. "We bring news to you about 'him' and some advices; we want you to triumph, not die, so, listen carefully…"

"That 'dark one' is now in the continent to the west, across the vast sea, and his victorious campaigns against the kingdoms there made us re-evaluate the situation. Because he was victorious against the union of three of those countries' great armies which were filled with mages mostly is why we want to free you and Fernandez; his armies are enormous, his soldiers strong, and with every city he destroyed, he gained more followers. Now, his armies could easily beat whatever opposition the kingdoms of this continent might take against him, even if they unite, we fear that it might not be enough."

"But why? Why do you need to take me with you?" Jellal was the first to ask, having digested the information quickly.

"Because… I told you I cannot say it… not yet." Natsu stood up from the ground, getting close to the door with his eyes closed and leaning against one of the sides; he thought about what he heard, his mind processing the information before reaching a conclusion. But he still needed to hear something else.

"And what advices do you bring?" The voice clicked its tongue at the question, scolding himself for forgetting about it.

"My Master said: Tell Dragneel that we know of the dragons whereabouts, and that they have the solution for this trouble." Natsu opened his eyes wide at the news, shaking his head in denial as he knew that the dragons couldn't interfere with the business of the 'dark one'. "Dragons might not intervene, physically, but they can help their children with counsel."

"Okay, then you want Natsu out so he can talk to his father…" The azure-haired man said, hearing another chuckle from the voice outside.

"No, that's your job, Fernandez."

"What? Why?" The fire dragon-slayer asked aloud, not believing that his chance to see his father again was being denied.

"Because we need someone with Council knowledge for this task, as the path towards the dragons hideout is dangerous and full of troubles that Fernandez will be more qualify to face. Besides, you need to do something else, Dragneel."

"And what's that?"

"Kill the Farseer."

"…!"

* * *

><p><em>(In Asa's communication space.)<em>

"Everything is in order, my Lord, Natsu is incapacitated and won't be able to do anything until it is too late." Asa said in a kneeling position to a white formless being in human shape that stood in front of him, the figure cackling madly at the news before clapping his hands in approval for the Farseer.

"You did well, Farseer, you did incredibly well." He leaned forward to pat the man's head, receiving an appreciation nod from the man. Returning to his original position, the figure started to walk around the place, grinning wickedly at whatever he was thinking. "Oh, Farseer, you were a hard bone but, at the end, the control seal finally got to you! It's incredible to see that the dragon-slayers didn't notice the strange change of your scent."

"In this space, they cannot use their abilities unless I say so, my magic governs this place." The white being cackled again, nodding to the man before turning around to leave the place.

"Let me know if anything from the future changes, and keep deceiving those fools, I want to see their broken faces when they finally know that you were on my side!"

"Yes, my Lord."

* * *

><p><em>A day after the trials.<em>

_(Era; outside the Magic Council's building.)_

"Uh…? So what do we do now?" A blonde man asked to the people around him, watching the Knights close the door leading inside the government building of the Council, not getting an immediate answer from them. A red scarlet-haired man in black armor answered.

"Guild." It was a simple word, but the others understood what he meant; though, that didn't mean that they agree with him. A woman with black long hair tied in two ponytails running down her chest was first to protest.

"No way in seven hells that I'm joining a guild again!" A man with slicked back hair with one side black and the other white followed her lead.

"Asis is right! We don't need any guild's help to survive!" And they started to walk down the road with their head high, before being stopped by a more than convincing fact that the last one of their group made; he had long light blue hair tied down in a ponytail that rested over his left shoulder.

"How much money do we have?"

"…" The two departing figures froze at the question, remembering that they didn't have enough money to even buy food for the end of that day.

"I see." The man gave two steps forward and turned to face both his partners in front and those behind him, closing his eyes in meditation before opening them a few minutes later with a decision made. "We'll do what Pierre suggested and join a guild, we need to wait for Natsu-san, and we cannot do so without money."

"Hey! Who got in jail and made you leader, Hyde?" The mismatched-haired man asked annoyed, his question full of irony.

"Shut up, Fran! We need money and wait for the moron, so, we're joining a guild!" The blonde that started the talk said in support of the other two guys, before being yelled at by the woman of the group.

"Oh! Then tell us, Literio, which guild would take in those that were aiming to destroy them?" Silence made itself present after the question, all the mages knew that it was true, no guild –from Fiore- would want them to join them after what they did… unless… there's always a small chance that…

"Fairy Tail." Pierre said to the others, starting to walk down the road with his mind set; Hyde and Literio following him after hearing and complying with his suggestion while the other two remained behind, not liking the idea but following to see if they had any luck. It was better to try than die of starvation.

"To that moron's guild, then!"

* * *

><p><em>(Magnolia Town; Fairy Tail's main hall.)<em>

After the incident at Brammingmont, the remnants of Team Natsu –plus two kids- returned to the guild in a quiet trip back home to inform their Master about what transpired during the ordeal. Their minds busy and down after what happened, some more than others, but all of them feeling the same depressing feeling of having lost their friend when he revealed everything to them and… well, the last part is reserved to the new leader of the team, since it was of personal interest.

On their return, they saw that the Master was already aware of their findings and Natsu's betrayal, having heard of it from the Iron Dragon-slayer –Gajeel- and one of the pink-haired's collaborators –Garreth- that joined the guild shortly after Team Natsu left.

"So, where's he?" Gray asked to Mira, not seeing any new faces around the place, sitting on a stool close to the bar while his eyes scanned for someone that could match the description the others gave of the new mage. The white-haired woman chuckled at the question, calling the ice-mage's eyes to see her.

"Oh, he's out on a mission, he's been doing them non-stop after we discovered that he joined us on a ruse." The barkeeper then passed to explain how the man explained Natsu's plan to everyone before bowing to apologize to everyone for his actions, telling them that he will do a hundred missions without pay for the trouble he cause. Gray sweatdropped at the story; his mind picturing a scarlet-haired woman in armor doing the same thing instead of accepting the others words telling her that there was no need to be so exaggerated.

And talking about Scarlet; she was sitting on a table of the second floor, her unexpressive face looking through the window to the town of Magnolia and the people walking through the streets with their normal activities in mind. She didn't say a word since the Knights took Natsu and the others away, except for the necessary, like answering Gildartz questions or the other members questions about her state; her team mates were the only ones to hear more than three words from her, having been there with her when the pink-haired was taken to Era.

'Natsu…' She repeated his name for the umpteenth time that day, her mind replaying the occurrences of that day with the intention of checking if there was something that the man told her that was contradictory. Finding nothing.

"Mom…?" A voice called for her, a clanking sound followed by boots' steps making her turn her head around to see the approaching figure of a much younger self looking at her with worried eyes. She smiled at the girl, extending a hand and motioning her to take the free seat in front of her. "How are you…? How are you fairing?"

"I will survive, if that is what you want to know." The girl looked troubled at the words, catching the subtle pain behind the strong voice of her mother. She wanted to do something to get her out of her depressed state but couldn't think of something that would be fitting; she wanted to know more of her and her father but the moment was not the right one to ask such question, so, she offered something else.

"Can…? Can you train me?" Erza looked at the girl in shock, shaking her head to snap out of it before answering.

"Train you? Nova, you're strong, you don't need me to train you." Nova shook her head at the compliment, remembering her fight with her father a week ago; she knew that she wasn't strong enough, at least, not strong enough to help him when the time comes.

"I'm not strong, not enough, I need to train and get better." She said to the older woman, her mind avoiding saying her reasons to believe that. But Erza knew why she was saying that, smiling appreciatively at the girl; she stood up from her seat and extended a hand out for the girl to take.

"Then, let's go, you can invite your friend if you want." Nova looked at her mother for a second, her eyes going to see the hiding dragon-slayer leaning behind a pillar shaking his head to her before hiding completely when the Titania turned around to check at what was the girl looking; finding the place deserted she returned her smiling face to the girl, expecting her to take her hand.

"No, he's… busy… let's go." The younger red-haired said with a smile of her own, taking her mother's hand and following her lead when she did so, outside the guild and towards the forest; where no one would disturb them and they could train without worry of harming someone.

"Great for you… Nova…" Kaki whispered from behind the pillar, smiling at the retreating figures of mother and daughter hand-in-hand, not noticing a figure standing next to him.

"What are you doing?" He jumped to the column and hugged it for his dear life while letting out a girly scream, calling the attention of everyone that on sight with the situation started to laugh at him, embarrassing and making him look at the person responsible of it. It was the celestial spirit mage, chuckling madly at his expense.

"T-that wasn't funny!" He yelled to her, blushing madly because of the embarrassment; the blonde waved away his scream, recomposing herself before asking him something with a smile.

"Want to go on a mission with Gray and me?" The boy turned to look at the ice mage sitting at the bar with a big grin directed at him for what happened before, nodding to him when Kaki pointed a finger to the blonde next to him; the dark-haired boy smiled at them both.

"Okay! I'll go with you guys!"

Standing at the top floor, where his office was, Gildartz Clive smiled at the situations on the lower floors feeling content with the fact that the guild remained the same after learning of Natsu's deception and his imprisonment at the hands of the Council. His team was devastated –Erza more than Gray or Lucy- but they went through things like that before, and where dealing with the sadness better that what he expected; whatever Natsu tell them when he was being taken away must have been something touching for them to be this well.

He laughed heartedly; no one from the team told him what the slayer's parting words were, deeming them something that was better kept in secret for the members of the team than to be told to everyone. Though, after seeing the younger scarlet mage with them, he had a few guesses.

"Damn, Natsu, you really know how to pick them." He laughed again, turning around and marching to his office, opening the door with a kick and closing it behind to start his paperwork without interruptions. He saw the huge piles of letters from the Council and face faulted, grabbing one from the top and reading the opening title to see what the old mans from Era wanted this time…

His eyes widened, a vein appeared at the side of his left eye and his hand clutched the piece of paper until it was nothing but a small ball; he exited the office and ran to the railing that give view of the lower floors, giving a mighty roar to express his anger.

"Natsu! You damn asshole!"

Everyone understood the reason behind the roar, all of the members laughing at poor Gildartz expense, the man going back to his office with an angered face and closing the door loudly behind him, wanting to cover the sounds of laughter coming from down stairs.

He wasn't there, but with all the paperwork he left behind, the Master was sure to remember the stupid dragon-slayer until the day they meet again…

…and he has a chance to give him a piece of his mind.

**The End.**

* * *

><p><strong>Finally, the Epilogue. I don't know if it fits the characteristics of one, but, hey! I did my best!<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter and the story, I know that more times that I wanted, I made a mess of things and it was confusing... but that's 'cause this story is my training ground; what improvements I had, I tried them in other stories like 'Move on' or 'Eavesdropping' or any other one-shot I wrote.**

**So... again, I hope you enjoyed it and can forgive me.**

**Let's wait for me to end MC and my other projects, and I'll bring you the sequel.**

**Until then!**

**Saludos and best wishes from Kuroyagi!**

**PS: 123 stories! The NaZa archive sure looks different now, don't you think? Hahaha! Thanks to those that wrote stories of the couple -and those that wrote humor stories too with Erza and Natsu as main characters-, it is nice to see that 1 page turned to 5 -close to 6- in less than a year! ^^  
><strong>


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